The Godparents
by graystephen93
Summary: Donna and Harvey still find themselves on non-speaking terms a month after their kiss and fall out. Until Rachel and Mike deliver the news that they are expecting their first baby ...and want them to be the godparents.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my new multi-chapter fic!** **Hope you enjoy this one! I think it's gonna be a more fun approach to the aftermath of 7.10. But it's me so angst will definitely ensue..**

 **It's obviously a plot that would never happen on the show so best take it with a pinch of salt. And let's see what happens to Darvey when their plans to spend the foreseeable future at arms length are derailed by some godbaby news..**

 **(Special shoutout to Michelle and Ali, my incredible motivators, cheer leaders and bad influencers. Xoxox.)**

* * *

 _Key to Forgiveness_

Donna approaches no.407, her black leather Hermes handbag over her left shoulder and a bottle of her and her friend's favourite red in her right hand. She takes her left hand to the door, lightly rapping her knuckles off the painted oak. She lets out a sigh, readying herself for the girly night in she wasn't particularly in the mood for.

It had been another tough day at the office. Made even tougher by the strained relationship she now shared with the managing partner. And as she hears her friend stirring inside, she inhales a deep breath and does what she does best; mask her feelings for other people's benefit.

"Donna!" Rachel beams, all too excited to see her considering it had only been two hours since they left the office that night.

"Hey, Rach." The redhead's smile almost reaches her eyes when she sees how happy her friend seems to be. "Got room for _two Reds_ in your life?" she jokes, holding up the bottle of wine.

"Always." Rachel giggles before she stands back then, gesturing for Donna to come inside.

"Mike home?" Donna quizzes as she makes her way into the empty living room, Rachel following behind her.

"No," the brunette mumbles, unsure of whether to just say it or not, "he's actually.. uh,"

Donna presses her lips together as she reaches the couch, gathering a breath before turning around to face Rachel. "You can say his name, you know?" she scolds light-heartedly, quirking that brow of hers as she cocks her head slightly, her fingers now playing with the glass bottle in her palms. "I won't break if you do."

"I know…" Rachel whispers, her topaz-brown eyes oozing with guilt, and a hint of pity that Donna can't stand. "I told him I wanted a night in with my best friend, and he gladly took it as an opportunity to go to Harvey's." she smiles sweetly.

Donna can't help but wonder what the two men might be discussing over there right now. Mike would surely tell Harvey that she was at Rachel's. Then again, she also wonders if he actually gives her much thought at all lately. It definitely didn't seem like it with the way they'd been acting around each other, since the kiss and their disastrous fall out. So disastrous, that she was now contemplating moving away altogether, a clean break, for both of them. Which was another reason she wasn't in the mood for a girl's night. Because she wasn't ready to tell Rachel her new plans, that involved her moving across country.

"Good!" she smiles for Rachel's sake, sitting herself down, leaving her bag on the floor and the wine on the coffee table in front of her. "Gives us the perfect chance to catch up! It feels like it's been months."

"Because it has.." Rachel mutters as if somewhat unimpressed, bending over to pick up the wine, glancing at Donna with a light scowl before she saunters off into the kitchen to crack open the bottle.

"It has?" Donna calls out, somewhat defensively, shifting on her seat a bit as she props the cushion comfortably behind her back.

"Yeahh.." Rachel responds, dragging out the word as she finds the cork screw and jams it into the bottle, "the last time you were here.." she twists the bottle opener, using the action as a way to break up her sentence, her features frowning with concentration, "the last time we got to properly talk outside of work.." the cork burst out of the glass neck, the popping sound travelling to the living room where Donna was now turning to examine Rachel inside the door frame, "was when you told me you regretted putting . _.him_ , over _you_."

Donna can tell that Rachel is somewhat disappointed that she hasn't confided in her fully yet, about her and Harvey's fight. She hears her friend padding back towards her as she zones out slightly, remembering the night the brunette was referring to. And also what followed in the days after that night, and then weeks, until it was now a month. A month since she'd spontaneously kissed the man she believed to be her soul mate late one night in her office, then took off before he could even gather a response.

"Rach.. can we not do this now? I'm exhausted." The older woman sighs, still trying to sound as warm as possible, but Rachel could detect the slight warning in her tone.

"Then when, Donna?" she pleads, raising her brows in concern as she lands the bottle, and just one wine glass, onto the coffee table, something Donna would have caught straight away had her mind not been so preoccupied. "Because I'm worried about you! You haven't talked to me about this since the night you told me you kissed him." she breaths out, sitting down beside her friend, desperately trying to get her to open up about what she knows has been eating at the redhead for weeks now. "Just talk to me, please?" Rachel tentatively places her right hand on Donna's knee, finally eliciting eye contact from her again.

"And say what, Rachel? That the man I was in love with can't stand to look at me anymore?" she spits out, finally cracking under the pressure.

" _Was?_ " Rachel inquires delicately, not believing for a second that Donna's love for Harvey is past tense.

Donna gives her a light glare, but proceeds anyway, choosing to ignore the last question. "I don't even blame him.. of course he's mad. I practically ended his.." Her eyes land on the wine in front of them as she finds herself unable to finish her sentence

Rachel lets out a dry scoff, pulling back from her friend, subconsciously scratching her neck as she blinks slowly.

"What?" Donna prods, worrying her brows.

"Nothing.. it's just," she trails off before inhaling and locking eyes with the redhead again, "there wasn't much of a relationship there to end, if you ask me." she finishes quite boldly, almost seeming agitated, but not for herself.

Donna produces a mousy smirk, her heart warming at how defensive Rachel was becoming of her, clearly unnerved by the idea of Harvey dating his ex-therapist, perhaps when he should have been dating someone else.

"Look. It is what it is. I've moved on. I'm fine, Rachel." she exhales, her voice lightly quivering before she finishes on another lie when her friend doesn't seem convinced. "I promise."

The younger woman opens her mouth to protest, not wanting to finish the topic just yet, feeling as though Donna still hasn't gotten it all off her chest. But she sees the hurt in her eyes, and figures she'll talk about it more when she's fully ready. "That's good, Donna." she smiles sadly. "I just want you to be happy."

"I know." she responds warmly as they share a glance before the silence consumes them. "So! What was the 'exciting news' you wanted to tell me? Pick a date for the wedding yet?" Donna adds chirpily, trying her best to lighten the mood as she leans over to pour two glasses of wine, just then realising that there's only one.

It dawns on her straight away. She puts down the bottle and glances back to a guilty and giddy looking Rachel. She can't help but look to the younger woman's stomach, unable to detect anything under the baggy sweater she had on. Her eyes meet Rachel's again then as she sits back once more to be closer to her, her chin lowering as her left brow quirks upwards. "You're..?"

"Almost five months." Rachel blurts out in an excited whisper, biting her bottom lip as she eagerly awaits Donna's reaction.

"Oh my god.." Donna breaths out joyfully, placing her right hand over her mouth as both brows shoot upwards and her jaw drops.

Almost immediately after, the redhead pulls her in for a warm, tearful hug that lasts close to a minute. They break apart then, Donna raising both index fingers to her face, rubbing the fresh tears under her lashes away.

"God, I'm sorry, I _am_ happy ..I swear!" she chuckles, rolling her eyes at the emotional state she was in. "Wow, it's just so nice to get some amazing news for once!" she beams, before reaching for Rachel's hands and the woman's lap and locking them with her own. "I am beyond thrilled for you, Rachel. For both of you."

"Thank you, Donna." whispers the teary brunette, feeling quite wobbly herself now.

"You kept that quiet for long!" Donna adds after a few seconds, playfully poking Rachel's leg, still bemused at her friend's lack of a huge belly.

"I only found out at three months. I was so stressed with work that I didn't even notice the changes." she replies, placing her right hand on her stomach, flattening the sweater, allowing the redhead to see the small, yet noticeable bump. "I'm not majorly showing yet.. but it's there!" beams the bubbly mother-to-be as she gestures for her friend to join her.

Donna's smile widens, exposing all of her pearly whites, completely in awe at the sight before her as she reaches out her left hand to place on Rachel's growing abdomen. Swallowing back the second round of tears, she decides in that moment that she's not going to leave town after all.

"And now your sudden interest in larger blouses makes sense!" Donna teases, pulling back as the emotions building up inside her start to sting.

"It's amazing what one size extra will hide!" Rachel adds with a grin.

"I should have picked up on this." Donna sighs after another moment. "I'm sorry Rachel, I've just been so distracted with work lately. I know I've neglected our friendship somewhat, and that's inexcusable."

"I wanted to tell you a month ago, after we had our first scan.." Rachel looks downwards, recalling the reason she chose to hold off on the baby news sharing, before she meets Donna's now serious gaze again. "But with everything that was going on in the last few weeks, I decided I wanted to wait."

It doesn't take a genius to figure out what Rachel was trying her best _not_ to say. And even if it did, Donna would be the genius. "Everything with me and Harvey, you mean?" she quizzes, wearing an amiable glare.

Rachel responds with a defeated shrug, lowering her shoulders as she sighs, offering a sweet, knowing smile as words fail her.

"Rachel." Donna whispers with a warm, yet scowling tone. "Don't _ever_ be afraid to tell me all of the amazing things that are happening in your life, just because of the _less amazing_ things that are happening in mine."

"Okay." she nods, her heart painfully beating for the woman sat beside her.

"I want to know _everything_ , always." Donna finishes with an earnest expression.

The brunette's understanding smile begins to fade from her eyes a moment later and again, Donna notices straight away. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing.." Rachel responds more solemnly now. "It's just.."

"Just what, Rachel?" Donna presses as Rachel trails off, feeling a bit anxious.

The younger women inhales, retrieving her precious smile and looking to her friend. "We want you to be our baby's _godmother_."

A wary smirk curls at the redhead's mouth as her cheeks give rise to a wider, slightly apprehensive smile. "And that's bad news because..?" she grins, trying to fathom the nervous look behind Rachel's eyes.

"No, it's great news Donna! And we wouldn't have picked anybody else, believe me." she truthfully reassures her. "It's just that,"

Donna leans back a bit further then, inhaling as it clicks with her. She smiles warmly at her friend, finishing the sentence that Rachel couldn't bring herself to. "Harvey's the godfather."

Rachel's face was enough to confirm the statement but she answers anyway. "Yes."

"And Mike's over there right now telling him the great news." Donna smiles softly at the thought.

Rachel just nods lightly in response, sheepishly regretting not being able to tell Donna properly.

"Rach," she begins on a sigh, "if you think I would ever let mine and Harvey's relationship get in between the one I'm gonna have with this baby.. then you don't have to worry, because I would _never_ let that happen." she asserts. "This kid won't even know his or her godparent's aren't on great terms, I promise!"

Rachel furrows her brows at the latter statement, her tone lowering along with her brows. "How long do you plan on not being on great terms for, exactly?" she asks, somewhat taken aback by the implications behind Donna's words.

"I'm not planning on anything with him, Rachel.." Donna trails off, not sure of what to say next.

"Donna, I'm worried about _you_ in all of this too, you know?" confesses the younger woman. "I mean, it's not gonna be easy sharing a godchild with the man you used to share so much of your life with.." she sighs before inhaling again, "don't you think you guys should sort things through by now?"

"Rachel Zane," Donna scolds with a smirk, "are you using your _unborn child_ as a pawn to get Harvey and I back as friends?"

"I plead the fifth.." she responds with a guilty smirk.

Donna shakes her head, grinning before she returns to the more important subject. "Look. My best friend is having a baby! Can we just obsess over this tonight instead of me and Harvey?" she pleads lightly, that sweet smile lighting up her features.

Rachel refrains from commenting on it any further, seeing how desperate her friend was to avoid the subject as much as possible, and also seeing how much she herself wanted to start with the baby talk already. "Of course we can." she beams.

"Okay," Donna starts, raising her hands mid air, "first things first.. do you guys wanna find out the sex? Or do I have to wait another four months to know if I have a goddaughter or a godson?" Rachel chuckles as Donna continues. "I mean, it would benefit my baby shower planning if we knew.. but of course that's up to you guys." she sighs in mock dismay, as a light smirk cracks at her mouth. "Oh my god we could do one of those awesome gender reveals!" Donna blurts out, the excitement consuming her already. "Sorry, I'm getting carried away here, aren't I?"

"It's fine Donna. Your enthusiasm means the world to me." Rachel giggles before quirking her brows. "But we've actually already found out.."

 **…**

"Mike! That's great news!" Harvey grins, bearing all of his teeth as his right arm pulls his friend in for a congratulatory hug, his hand warmly patting him on the back, his glass of scotch resting in the other.

"Thanks, Harvey." Mike smiles in appreciation as they part.

"I mean, I'm sorry for the kid, but I'm happy for you." he mocks in that deep, arrogant tone of his.

Mike smirks, looking down at his own glass then. "I feel sorry for her too," he sighs as he raises the glass to his lips, "given who her godfather is gonna be and all.." the younger man finishes, taking a sip of the amber liquid before he looks at his friend's somewhat bewildered frown.

"Her?" Harvey smiles as Mike nods, before the second part dawns on him. "Me?" he quizzes in disbelief, his frown lines deepening as his grin creeps back in.

"If you want." Mike beams.

"Mike, of course. I'd be honoured." Harvey reassures him with a solemn smile. "Thank you."

The younger man nods gleefully in response as Harvey shuffles on his spot somewhat, before turning to face the fire beside them as he swirls his drink. "So, you guys pick the uhh, godmother yet?" he asks, feigning nonchalance as he takes a sip.

"I'd answer that, Harvey, but you already know damn well who we picked." Mike reasons, watching as his friend stares blankly into the flames.

Harvey presses his lips together, smiling ever so lightly, a burst of air expelling from his nostrils, nodding as the thought hits him. "She'll be over the moon." he whispers hoarsely.

"Woah, careful there," Mike interjects sarcastically as Harvey eyes him, "it might actually sound like you care about her?"

Harvey turns, puffing out his chest to face his now annoying protege once more. "Watch it, Mike."

"I'm serious." Mike defends.

"Of course I care about her. _It's Donna_." he mumbles, looking down as he takes another drink.

"You sure?" Mike challenges, knowing full well he did, but needing to call Harvey out on his actions anyway. "Because it doesn't seem that way with how you've been treating her lately."

"Why do you have to bring this up now, Mike?" Harvey frowns, desperate to keep calm given the recent good news.

The younger lawyer straightens his stance as he pretends to muse. "Actually you're the one who steered the conversation towards Donna.."

Harvey just grits his jaw in response, turning his head slightly to the left as he eyeballs his friend.

"How long are you two gonna keep this up for, Harvey?"

"We're not _keeping anything up_. This is just how it is now." he murmurs.

"And that's what you want?" Mike challenges.

"Mike," Harvey breaths out, taking the last swig of his drink before setting the tumbler down on the coffee table behind him, "I thought you came here to tell me your good news? How about we get back to that now?" he asks, in more of a demanding tone than a questioning one.

"Oh, so you can just bottle shit up for another month? I don't think so." He inhales a deep breath before he continues. "What would you say to me, Harvey? If I was too stubborn to see the truth? If it was me and Rachel?"

" _What I would say is_ ," Harvey begins, dragging out the sentence, his tone verging on aggravated and condescending now, "that you and Rachel, aren't me and Donna. So butt out."

As Harvey looks back to the flames, Mike just stands there, lightly shaking his head as he looks to his boss, both pity and disappointment oozing from his crystal blue eyes. He watches then as his friend seems to relax, his shoulders lowering in defeat, his stern expression now softening as realisation hits.

"I've lost her, Mike." Harvey sighs with a raspy whisper as the fire warms his body, but not his mind.

"That's funny," Mike begins, furrowing his brows in mock bemusement, "because last time I checked she hadn't gone anywhere?"

"She's not interested in fixing anything." Harvey declares despairingly.

"How can you know that? Yous haven't talked in weeks?" Mike responds.

"Because Mike! Too many things were said okay? Things that shouldn't have been said," Harvey removes his right hand from his pocket and massages his temples with his thumb and fingers, "and things that should have been said years ago." he finishes softly.

"Just talk to her, Harvey." Mike encourages simply as he sighs.

"I'm too afraid I'll say the wrong thing," he murmurs, the scotch still warming his veins, making it easier to talk about her, and his fears, ".. _again._ "

"Harvey..with women, saying nothing _is_ saying the wrong thing." Mike smiles lightly before taking another mouthful of his drink. "In fact, it's even worse."

Harvey finally looks back to him, a light smirk adorning his face as he slowly blinks in both acknowledgement and gratitude of his friend's advice. "Did _you_ , just give _me_ , relationship advice?" he jokes in slight shock.

Mike nods with an adorable cockiness, choosing to refrain from commenting on the fact that Harvey just used the word _relationship_ to refer to himself and the redhead.

"Look, if anything, do it for your face," Mike adds, taking on a more teasing tone now to lighten the mood as Harvey frowns at him, "those added stress lines aren't a good look on you."

"Asshole." Harvey mumbles, shaking his head with a small grin before he begins to contemplate all that had been said.

 **…**

The following Monday comes around all too quickly for the estranged pair. Both having spent the weekend dwelling on the fact that they would now have to have a conversation about their new shared interest. Even just words of mutual congratulations. But these days, the thought of discussing anything other than business, anything remotely personal, terrified them.

Harvey swoops back into his office just after his noon meeting with an old client. He sits down at his desk, unsure of what to do next. The redhead he saw sitting at her own desk on his way in being the only thing occupying his mind right now. Mike's words from that Saturday night begin nagging at him then. He knows he has to say something, _but what?_

Meanwhile, his next-door neighbour is anxiously mirroring his thoughts. She didn't have to look up from her paperwork to know it was him who had just strode into his office. She could sense him a mile off after all these years.

With a deep inhale that almost devours all of the oxygen in the room, Harvey subconsciously taps on his desk before pushing his chair out with the backs of his legs and turning the corner of his desk, cautiously yet quickly pacing his way out of his office and into hers.

Donna nears her own door, looking to the floor before she sees a shiny pair of familiar leather shoes. Before she can look up she's colliding with the owner of the expensive pair, gasping lightly as she looks into his hazel eyes for what feels like the first time in forever.

The collision catches them both off guard and before he knows it he's extending his hands, instinctively catching her arms, just below the shoulders, lest he knock her over.

"Uhh," he mutters, transfixed by her darkening pupils which are hypnotised by his own pair, "you good?"

She closes her eyes briefly, detaching from his magnetic gaze as she shakes her head. "Yeah, sorry.. I wasn't looking where I was going." she breaths out, subconsciously glancing between his eyes and his lips.

He couldn't help but do the same. The last time they were this close, she had kissed him, and he kissed her back. In the very same spot they were in now.

That fact seems to dawn on them both then as the staring wears off and his hands are slowly, maybe even too slowly, grazing down her her arms until they're back at his sides.

Her bare flesh is still tingling from his touch as she quickly composes herself, inching back almost a foot, clearing her throat before she speaks. "What can I do for you, Harvey?"

He mimics her faux throat clearing before he responds. "Nothing, I just came in to say congratulations." he nods casually, his expression almost blank as his eyes dart around the office before they return to the only thing he really wants to look at.

"Thanks," Donna presses her lips into a thin smile, nodding slowly as she speaks, awkwardly pointing to the wall to her left, "I was actually on my way to do the same." She brings her left hand back to nervously fumble with her other fingers as both hands hover over her abdomen before she realises what she's doing and smooths out the fabric of her deep blue dress, only returning to the hand fidgeting moments later anyway. "So, congratulations!"

Harvey can't help but feel uneasy as a sickening feeling lines his stomach. This should not be how they are celebrating their shared god-parentage. They should be having a drink, laughing and mocking each other, teasing one another about being the favourite godparent, while she rolls her eyes as he makes endless jokes about 'The Godfather'. Not this awkward, tension-filled run in.

"Thanks, Donna." he says softly, hoping she wouldn't detect his dismal tone beneath the warm facade. "You're gonna make a great godmother. She's already lucky to have you." he nods, still sounding more formal than he wanted to.

She shows her appreciation with a heartwarming smile, even letting it reach her eyes, to both of their surprise. "You too, Harvey."

They stare another while then, neither knowing what to say next, yet neither wanting the moment to end. Even though it wasn't their old friendship dynamic, it was the closest to it they've gotten since they kissed. The first conversation they were having since their massive post-kiss row and inevitable fall out, that hadn't been work related.

The redhead can't take the silence any longer, scratching the back of her head as she speaks. "I've never had to organise a baby shower before.." she chuckles nervously, quirking her brow as she curls her lip, sending him glances between.

He offers her one of his _Donna smiles_ then, without even knowing. "Donna, you could organise a royal wedding," he smirks at her adamantly, "in your sleep."

There's another shared smile before the shyness hits again and he's soon stumbling over his words. "Uhh, I don't know how those things work.." he says, surprising even himself, "but if you need a venue, you're more than welcome to have it at my place." he finishes, lacking his signature confidence.

Donna's eyes widen with shock as she smacks her lips together, swallowing back the newly formed lump in her throat. She knows it wasn't an invite for just her. She knows she shouldn't over think it. She knows. Yet, she can't help but feel as if he's reaching out to her.

She's taking too long to respond, her slightly gaped mouth now making him regret his offer, thinking it may have been too forward seeing as they aren't even friends anymore.

"Just a suggestion.." he covers, waving his hands by his sides. "I've got more than enough room, but it's fine if you've already decided on a place.." he trails off, not even hearing what he was saying anymore, his heart beginning to nervously beat away under his chest, sending his pulse racing along with it.

She can't take the awkward state they are in any longer and finds herself agreeing without even thinking it through. "Yeah sure! That sounds perfect. Thank you, Harvey."

He inhales deeply, puffing out his chest before he exhales and nods solemnly, sending her a brief smile before he turns and leaves her staring into space, shaking her head at the tragic state of their relationship.

 **…**

The next two months fly by at the firm. Harvey, Louis and Mike battling case after case, whilst Donna keeps their home running smoothly and Rachel finally takes her maternity leave, at just over seven months.

It's a beautiful Saturday morning in New York City and Harvey's beloved bachelor pad is being turned into a pretty, pink palace, much to a certain redhead's amusement. He wasn't even there yet. However, he had given her his key, well her old key, left it on her desk the morning before when she wasn't there, knowing she would need it to let herself into his apartment in the morning. They both knew she had other ways of getting inside. She could charm her way through any of the concierges on the ground floor, for one. But things weren't like that anymore, and he felt like he needed to show her that it was okay to let herself in.

There were caterers dropping off delicious arrangements of snacks, confectionery foods and cupcakes, and a party planning company delivering all of the balloons, decorations and party-ware Donna had ordered for the occasion. She had pulled out all the stops, delighted to have something to take her mind off of work. Work meaning _him._

She uses her famous charm on two young delivery guys, ordering them around the apartment, having them set up food tables by the windows whilst she decorates the kitchen and living room area accordingly, taking too much pleasure in tastefully plastering the place in light pinks. Once everything is finally in place, she tips the men handsomely before they leave.

Harvey enters the apartment moments later, a bemused look on his face as he quietly shuts the front door behind him.

"I'm sorry, I must have the wrong address?" he calls out as he cautiously edges his way inside, looking around at the girly decor. She jumps ever so slightly at his voice, quickly composing herself before turning around from the island to glare at him with a half smirk as he continues. "I thought I lived in New York, not _Disney Land.._ "

Donna lets out an almost inaudible laugh. "Well you do today, _Walt_."

He smiles, watching her turn back to her current task, whisking up a large jug of strawberry smoothie mix. "Didn't take you for the D.I.Y type.." he mutters, strolling to the fridge behind her as he pulls the door open, brows lowering when he sees how packed it is. A strange feeling ambushes him then. Something he can't quite place. Just as he wonders why a full fridge was filling his heart, he realises it was because of the woman who filled it. He shakes the thought and closes it again without taking anything out.

"Coffee?" he asks, walking towards the machine.

"I'm good thanks." she replies with her head down, still whisking away, sighing as she bites her tongue, impatiently waiting for the liquid to thicken. She found herself desperately trying to ignore how strange it felt to be in his apartment with him after all these months, after all that had been said and done.

"Want a hand?"

Donna slows down her actions ever so slightly for the briefest of moments, before picking up speed again. "Uh, no I'm fine thanks."

Harvey feels awkward just standing there helpless and desperately needs something practical to do to fill the conversational void between them. Without even looking at him, she can almost feel his thoughts burning through hers. He steps back towards her end of the island then just as she finishes stirring the mixture. She lifts the jug and begins pouring the thickened, baby pink liquid into the smoothie glasses in front of her.

"Come on, give me something to do." he almost pleads, looking over her shoulder before he settles at the corner of the marble countertop. "Guests will be arriving in less than twenty minutes, let me help."

"Honestly, everything's do-"

" _Donna._."

"Fine!" she gives in, inhaling before she knows what she has to order him to do next. "There's.." she clears her throat, returning to her drink pouring so she doesn't have to look at him, "there's a can of whipped cream in the refrigerator," she feels herself almost blushing as his composure falters somewhat, noticing his face drop even out of the corner of her eye, "you can put it on top of these." she nods to the glasses she's currently filling.

Harvey clears his own throat then as his blood begins to rush ..south. "Sure."

"It's the only thing left to do.." she mumbles to herself before smirking in amusement, "and you insisted so.."

"It's fine Donna," he replies into the fridge, scanning the shelves as he tries to sound as passive as possible, "it's just whipped cream."

"Bottom shelf." she calls out, turning her head towards him briefly before focusing on the shakes again. "Beside the cherries.." she adds when he's still standing behind her searching.

He finally locks eyes on the item. Picking up the can, he realises he hasn't held one in over a decade. Each of the memories of that unforgettable night come flooding back in that moment, for them both. Every touch. Every word. Every taste. Not to say that that didn't happen frequently, just now they were both undeniably thinking about it at the exact same time.

Harvey shuts the door and walks back over to the island, taking a position opposite her now to be closer to the drinks. He takes the cap off the bottle and gives it a shake. Donna briefly shuts her eyes as she inhales, still pouring the mixture, becoming slightly hot and bothered as the last time she watched him doing that, they were both in her bedroom, fully naked.

He quickly looks away from her once he notices her reaction, getting to work on the first glass as he directs the nozzle towards it, finally pressing down and releasing the creamy substance over the smoothie. The sound of it alone enough to trigger them both even further.

Donna zones out, watching as he squirts it over the first shake. "Donna?" he calls to get her attention, nodding towards her glass once she snaps out of it and looks to him.

"Shoot!" she whispers loudly, pulling the jug back up once she sees the glass is almost overfilling.

He bites his inner lip in a desperate attempt to prevent his amused smirk from broadening, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable, and definitely not wanting to let himself make a joking comment to break the tension. Something their older selves may have been able to do.

"Am I doing this right?" he asks, trying to fill the most awkward silence they had ever found themselves in.

The embarrassed redhead darts her eyes towards him and then to the first smoothie he had finished. She lets out the smallest of chuckles. "Don't just spray it on.. you gotta swirl it." She elaborates once she meets his bewildered expression. "Circular movements Harvey.. until it peaks at the top."

Donna turns to retrieve the cherries from the fridge, placing one in her mouth before she makes her way back to the counter.

He doesn't know what on earth possesses him to make his next comment, the words falling out of his mouth before he even realises he's forming them. "Sorry, I guess I'm a little out of practice."

She almost chokes on the cherry, forcing a cough as she swallows it down, not sure she heard him right. She looks to him then, his head down, a faux innocence about him, finishing off his task as he smirks ever so lightly.

New York's wittiest COO, and probably person in general, had rarely found herself at a loss for words. She stands there awhile, unsure of what to even do or say. Furrowing her brows at the man before her, she wonders why it was so easy for him to joke around after the serious few months they'd had. It was even more perplexing seeing as they still haven't talked through most of their issues, and she's convinced they never will.

As if the Gods read her prayers asking them to save her from having to respond to his latest form of verbal diarrhoea, five hard knocks echo throughout the hallway.

"I'll get it!" she almost shouts, placing the cherries onto the counter. "It's probably Mike and Rachel."

Harvey watches her walk off, only then letting out a defeated sigh as he curses himself, shutting his eyes in regret. "Idiot.."

The last two months, since the baby news, had been somewhat amicable between them. They were civil and pleasant, not friends exactly, but functioning work colleagues, no more hostility. It was as if after their conversation in her office, they had both come to a mutual understanding that they would have to put aside their differences, and perhaps even their feelings, for the sake of the baby. The pair are serious about their new roles as godparents and don't want their issues getting in the way.

But Harvey finds himself growing more agitated by that with each passing day. He knows it isn't healthy, as does she. It feels like being fully aware that there is a bomb about to explode but not knowing when. He wants them to get back to being friends at least, as a start, so they can talk about what happened that night in her office, again. This time without him being in a relationship, preventing him from opening up to her fully. He had realised a lot of things over the last two months, with the help of his new, _completely ethical_ therapist which he was now seeing unbeknownst to anyone.

 **…**

The baby shower is in full swing by early afternoon. With many familiar faces such as Louis, Sheila, Alex, Gretchen, Katrina, Benjamin and Oliver making an appearance. Rachel's parents call by to join in the celebration for a couple of hours too. Everyone finds themselves enjoying the fun games, upbeat music, and abundance of food and drinks. The only time Donna and Harvey interact with one another directly is when she hands out sheets for everyone to predict the baby's birthday and weight.

"What does the winner get?" Harvey quizzes, looking at the pink piece of paper in amusement before he fills out the blanks.

"Mike and Rachel's first born." Donna responds humorously before quickly diverting her attention back to the rest of the group who are all chuckling at the pair.

Harvey smiles to himself, feeling a sense of calm and comfort at the fact that she responded with her old wit.

By late evening only Mike and Rachel are left, having thanked all of their friends for coming, they were now tired themselves, especially Rachel who was living for two now.

"Thank you so much, Donna." she beams, her right hand supporting her lower back as her left caresses her now unmissable bump. "It was nothing short of perfect. I don't know how you pulled it off."

The brunette outstretches her arms then, bringing her beloved friend in for a grateful hug. Donna shuts her eyes, smiling as her chin lowers to rest against Rachel's shoulder, warmly rubbing her back. "Anything for you, Rach."

As the pair part, Donna feels the need to share some of the credit. "And you have Harvey to thank for the location, it was his suggestion." she smiles, glancing over to the two men chatting by the couches. "Oh! And he helped make the smoothies." she adds with exaggerated awe.

"Very impressive." Rachel jokes back. "My pregnancy cravings were definitely more than catered to today, let me tell you!"

She pauses a moment then, Donna noticing her sombering expression immediately. "No. We're not there yet." she answers the woman's unspoken question.

"And where exactly is 'there'?"

"The point where we can talk about things again," Donna clarifies, "I'm not ready." she whispers.

"Take all the time you need, Donna." Rachel presses her lips into a sweet smile, placing her hand on the redhead's arm before a mischievous smirk forms, her eyebrows shooting into the air. "Something tells me he's waiting for you, regardless of how long he'll be waiting _for_."

Rachel turns back to the counter then, collecting her purse before Donna has a chance to argue. But she's too stunned to even protest it, zoning out as both men make their way over, only snapping out of her thoughts when Mike gives her a thankful hug and kiss goodbye. She paints on a smile as she watches them leave and Harvey sees them out. The door slamming shut suddenly emphasising that she was alone in the apartment with him, again. She'd rather just go home now but she doesn't want to leave him to do all the cleaning up.

Harvey notes her newly anxious expression as he walks back up the hallway to where she's standing. He doesn't need to be told why she looks so uncomfortable all of a sudden. "You go home, I'll take care of this. You deserve a rest."

As much as she wants to take him up on his kind offer, she won't allow herself to leave him to tidy up everything after the party she organised. "Don't be ridiculous," she forces a smile, "many hands make light work!"

He watches her stride by him then and towards the kitchen, taking a trash bag in one hand as she quickly busies herself and makes her way around the apartment, throwing away papers, fallen decorations and unfinished food. Clearing his throat, he makes strides towards the coffee table, about to pick up the empty champagne glasses when he spots an interesting piece of decor he somehow only noticed now. He smirks to himself, bending down to pick up the cactus sitting in the centre of the table.

"Someone got a makeover.." he teases, looking over to her just as her eyes meet the prickly plant from her spot in the kitchen.

She smiles once she registers his comment, grinning at the pink ribbon she tied around the pot the cactus sat in. "She deserved it. You forgot to water her today!" she jokes, making small steps towards him with the trash bag in hand.

Donna holds out the bag, waiting for him to throw the ribbon into it. But instead he just smirks, placing the now fashionable cactus back down on the glass table. She's not entirely sure why, and at the same time is almost certain why, but his action has her heart starting to race quite unexpectedly.

" _She?_ " he quizzes, his frown lines deepening before a smirk cracks at the corners of his mouth.

"Well, I suppose it could be a he...who's in touch with his feminine side." she plays along before picking up some discardable items from the coffee table.

" _She_ it is then.." he mumbles. "And just for the record, I never forget to water . _.her_."

"Mmhm.." she hums, her honey waves falling at either side of her face as she bends down further to clear the table, "except today."

"I was a little distracted, today." he mutters in an all too solemn tone, inhaling as he realises he said it, but oddly satisfied with himself for saying it.

Donna hesitates awhile before straightening back up and catching his eager eyes. She tries to tell herself that it meant nothing, he was just referring to the day itself, not her, and their relationship. But his voice tells her that's wrong, and he did in fact mean something _more_.

"Yeah," she sighs, knowing they weren't really talking about the baby shower, "I guess it was a pretty hectic day."

The pair share a knowing stare that lasts too long, yet not long enough. He's about three feet away and she swears she can see him inching closer, his lip twitching telling her he's about to say something. She inwardly scolds herself, forcing her eyes shut a moment, trying to break his alluring gaze. She knows something is going to be said. Something they can't go back from. Either for the better, or the worse. A part of her always wanted to take that risk, but with the baby's birth just around the corner, she can't chance them arguing, going right back to where they were in the weeks after their kiss. So it would just have to wait.

"I should go." she whispers.

Before he has a chance to say otherwise she's making her way over to the kitchen, disposing of the trash bag and gathering up her coat and bag. "It really has been a long day. I think I do need a rest after all!" Her tone is too chirpy, too forced, her mind is elsewhere and he knows it.

"Donna.." Harvey doesn't even know what he wants to say, he just knows he doesn't want her to leave, he's itching to talk things through with her once and for all, desperate to end their dreadful and agonising game of cat and mouse. Only, in this game, the cat and mouse are madly in love.

"I guess I'll see you at the office Monday." she smiles, trying her best to seem relaxed and unscathed. But the huge wall of denial she had been building since their fall out, telling herself she was over him, was beginning to crumble brick by brick, threatening to come crashing down on her any second, burying her under the emotional rubble of their rocky relationship.

He sees there's no point in arguing. Giving up all too easily, as usual. But he also doesn't want to force her to talk about things if she's not ready. "Let me see you out." he sighs, stepping towards her before they both make their way to the front door.

As he turns the handle she remembers something. "Oh, I almost forgot!" she says hurriedly, opening her handbag to rummage through her belongings until she locates one of _his_ belongings.

His heart flinches as he hears the familiar jingle. His thoughts confirmed as she removes her hand from the bag and holds out the key he gave her. He freezes for a moment, unsure of how to tell her that he wants her to keep it. That he physically cannot bear to take it back from her, again.

"Earth to Harvey?" she smiles awkwardly, dangling the key between them as if to wake him up.

He zones back in then, deciding to just spit it out. "You should hold onto that." he points as he removes his left hand from his pocket, a desperate casualness about him that she's not quite sure she can place. Her brows furrow at his surprise suggestion, the small creases in her forehead deepening as he takes a more solemn tone. "I should never have let you give it back to me in the first place. Or have given it away."

The whites of her eyes expand as she widens them in shock. He was referring to Paula. For the first time since the night of their kiss. Which was only days before they broke up. Before he ended it.

Donna struggles for the right response, before his own words hit her again, squashing any come back she had inwardly scrambled to produce. "It belongs to _you_."

"Harvey." she breaths out, her eyes pleading with him to take the key, purely so she won't have to think about what her keeping it means, for them.

"It's my olive branch, Donna. Please, just take it." His voice is so delicate and soft, reminding her of all the times he's used that heart melting tone before, dozens of memories of the old Harvey rushing in to blanket over the most recent, less appealing ones she held of him.

The startled redhead clenches her grip around the key before dropping her extended arm back down at her side.

"I know you're not ready to talk now. And I respect that. But just know that I'm not letting things stay the way they are. You mean too much to me." He doesn't know where the courage came from to say those words but he's relieved he found it, smirking at her gently, his coal and hazel eyes full of charm and hopefulness.

Her eyes begin to shine as they glisten with a fresh layer of unshed tears. She swallows down her nerves before allowing a soft smile to form as they share another knowing stare, one that says more than words ever could.

"Good night, Harvey." She presses her lips together with a sweet, friendly nod.

"Good night, Donna." he whispers back to her fading form before he closes the door, hoping that that was one of the last times he has had to watch her leave.

.

.

.

* * *

 **If you made it here, thanks for reading! I'd love to here your thoughts on the chapter! :)**  
 **Chapter two is almost complete and should be up shortly.**  
 **Spoilers: post-kiss fight flashback and a brand new arrival.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys! I planned on updating sooner, but I decided to add a new scene at the beginning to make up for the time that has to pass before Darvey can actually be godparents and the fun plot can start!**

 **In this chapter Harvey tests the waters of their now amicable relationship, and we learn why Donna is so apprehensive and nervous about rekindling with him with a post-kiss flashback.**

 **Just want to say thanks for the great response and feedback to the first chapter, you are all amazing! Hope this chapter meets your expectations! X**

* * *

 _Birth and Rebirth_

Harvey finds himself walking the city streets late one Tuesday afternoon on the way back from a lunch meeting with a rather annoying client of his. He had refrained from calling Ray to pick him up, actually feeling as though he needed the fresh, albeit polluted, air to clear his mind. His brain still numb from having to listen to the older man's business ramblings over food when all he wanted to do was get back to the firm. The place where he was always just a stone's throw away from _her_.

As he passes a store he had absolutely no intentions of stopping in, he finds himself freezing on the pavement as he double-takes, glancing through the window, a disgruntled pedestrian almost colliding with him when he suddenly halts. Harvey takes a step back to look inside once more. Once his gaze meets that alluring shade of red he saw from the corner of his eye, he's biting his lip, contemplating whether or not to go in as he watches her, with her back to him, looking through items of baby clothing, her beauteous ivory limbs poking out from her white, short-sleeved dress.

He quickly decides to go in before he talks himself out of it. He opens the door, already wincing at the unbearable jingle the bell above him lets off as he enters the all too quiet store. Harvey lets out the breath he was unknowingly holding when he turns to see her, looking up at him from behind a neatly ordered clothing rack brimming with mostly pinks.

She sends him a knowing stare, an ' _are you serious?'_ oozing from her lightly smirking eyes.

Unable to tamper down his own budding smirk any longer, he starts taking the ten or so steps towards her, hands in his pockets, eyes glancing around the high-end boutique before his feet stop and he's standing right opposite her, just the clothes rack between them.

"Harvey." she greets, looking down, her left brow quirked as she pretends to scan through the items she's already seen by now. A baby shade of pink had almost filtered over her entire vision at this stage.

"Donna." he nods, subconsciously biting his lip as he watches her.

When she looks back up at him, he realises he's staring and quickly removes both hands from his pockets as his right lands on the hangers in front of him and his left finds a convenient spot at the back of his neck to scratch.

"I didn't know you were expecting.." he chances, not daring to look at her again so soon.

Once he hears her inhaling he wishes he hadn't said it. His words seemed to run away with him of late, around her. As if her kiss unchained his tongue from over ten years of shackles.

However, their witty banter was slowly re-emerging over the last month, since the baby shower. It was still nowhere near where it used to be, but also far from it's non-existent state during the raw aftermath of their fight.

She always found herself feeling conflicted with his joking lately though. Half of her deciding to accept it because it meant they were on friendly terms, which was all she was focused on now for the baby. But the other half feeling like every time he was his old self around her, she was being kicked in the gut, an agonisingly constant reminder of how the one time she was certain that she didn't want to brush anything under the carpet and act like nothing had happened between them, she had to, because she wasn't going to have the two of them on bad terms if they were sharing a godchild. The maternal instinct she never knew she possessed so much, until recently, deciding to prioritise the baby. Just another person to add to the list of people she puts above herself.

"I didn't know you were either.." she plays along.

He smiles, leisurely making his way down the lineation of hangers, pretending to be interested in the clothes he was looking at as he tries to think of what to say next.

"Well, seeing as we both ended up here on our lunch," he pulls out a crimson coloured t-shirt small enough to fit a Chihuahua he reckons, "we might as well shop together," He sees her looking at him then, mildly shaking her head at his boldness, "because I have no idea what I'm looking for."

Donna puts the tiny sweater she was feigning interest in back on the rail, sending him an unimpressed smile. "That's because you're not looking for _anything!_ " she teases, lowering her voice before she presses her lips together and widens her eyes at him, shamelessly judging him.

"What do you mean?" he frowns in faux bemusement, the amount of innocence he was faking looking foreign against his finely chiseled features.

" _Harvey Specter_ ," His stomach flips as she says his name just like she used to, whenever she was about to buoyantly call him out on his bullshit, "don't think for _one second_ that I don't know you just happened to be walking by here, and crept in once you saw me through that big ole' window over there." she toys, throwing her left thumb towards the window in question.

He shuffles on the spot glancing out onto the street, feeling foolish for thinking he could even stand a chance of getting away with it. With a sheepish glance back to her, he realises denying it would be a fruitless effort. So instead, he diverts the conversation to her choice of verb. " _Crept?"_

"Yes. _Crept._ " He wonders why she's smiling so much until she pulls out a rosy coloured baby grow with a picture of a familiar feline's face. "Like the _Pink Panther_." she whispers deep and loud.

Harvey shakes his head, pursing his lips together, almost in awe at her delivery. Actually, definitely in awe at her delivery. As of her _everything_.

"Can't a guy shop for his godchild without being accused of .. _Pink Panthering_ these days?"

Harvey makes his way to the end of the rack, slowly fiddling with a few items as he turns the corner, now on the same side as her. He doesn't fail to notice her slowly gravitating her way up the aisle, away from him, yet a light smirk adorning her features helps put him at ease.

"He cannn.." She pouts her lips now too, dragging out the word while her eyes and fingers scan the clothes. As she nears the end of the rack, she casually swings over to the shelves in the wall opposite them, most of them housing stuffed animals, shoes, hats, and toys. "But _he_ already spoiled her with gifts at the baby shower..and great ones at that."

"You sound surprised." he mumbles, their backs facing each other just a few mere feet apart.

"That you bought gifts?" she teases, picking up a tiny grey elephant teddy.

"That they were great.."

"Oh, well I was..I mean you managed to find the perfect things without my-" She cuts herself off too late, slowly placing the stuffed animal back onto the shelf as she shuts her eyes, scolding herself in await of his response.

The ball is in his court now and he has to quickly decide whether to comment on it further, 'it' being the fact that she's not there for him in that way anymore, or to move on.

"Anyway," he frowns, "you're one to talk, you practically bought her an entire baby boutique." he murmurs, throwing his hands up at his sides and looking around the medium sized store to emphasise his point.

"Can't a girl shop for her godchild without being accused of over doing it these days?" she blinks, turning her head back towards him briefly as she mimics his style of questioning from moments earlier.

He lets their humorous silence engulf them for awhile as they both continue their semi-committed shopping, faint music playing in the background.

She sees him pick up an item from the corner of her eye, whatever it was birthing that shit-eating grin of his across his cheeks, one she doesn't need to directly look at to catch.

"What did you find..?" she mumbles in an exaggerated state of discouragement as she turns to him, clutching her cream handbag over her shoulder, her heels clinking against the wooden floor as she walks back over, closing the gap between them.

He holds up a black onesie, the colour choice forcing her to frown before he turns it around, eyeing her reaction with a satisfied smirk.

"Ha!" she snickers in astonishment. "You've got to be kidding me..of course _you_ would find that."

Her eyes dart back to the tiny item, 'The Godchild' sprawled across the middle in white, accompanied by the signature hand holding puppet strings logo. She bites her bottom lip as her grin widens, glancing up at him and shaking her head at the hilarity of it all, _of_ _him_. "You're gonna get it aren't you?"

"Of course." He frowns at her for even asking such a question, his dramatic change in facial expression telling her he was getting into character. " _I have a sentimental weakness for my children and I spoil them, as you can see."_

"And there it is!" she rolls her eyes smiling, her tongue playing with the roof of her mouth as she waves her right palm in his direction. "The first _Godfather_ quote!"

"It was only a matter of time, Donna." he replies, in the same Corleone accent.

The redhead chuckles lightly, exposing most of her teeth as her eyes flicker with something he hasn't seen in awhile. "Ease up, _Don Vito._ "

She had to admit, his impression of the character was annoyingly impressive. But she wasn't going to inflate his already island-sized ego anytime soon by actually telling him that.

They're soon sharing a gaze that has them both silenced and slowing down their breathing. There's a comfort about it that manages to unnerve her as she pulls her hazel green pair away from his darkening eyes.

He's about to say something when a sharp, chirpy voice cuts through them both like an unexpected splash of ice cold water, reminding them that they weren't alone. "Anything I can help you guys with?"

Donna clears her throat, feeling all too flustered as she looks to the older woman behind Harvey. "No, thank you. We're just browsing." she smiles politely.

"Ah," she nods, "well if you need anything, don't be shy!"

Harvey nods at the lady, watching her about to turn around when she hesitates, her mouth agape as she ponders. "I'm sorry, forgive me if I'm overstepping here, but you two make a lovely couple. When are you expecting?"

Donna's cheeks come alive, burning under the heat of a few simple words.

 _Couple. Expecting._

 _..With Harvey._

She feels his steady gaze from the corner of her eye as she looks to the woman, throwing her thumb towards him as she chuckles nervously. "We're-"

"Just about three months along now." His voice looms over hers as he cuts her off, stepping closer to her, eyes still locked on the woman opposite them.

Donna sends him a questionable glare which she knows he catches, biting the inside of her cheek when he side-eyes her. She hears the woman utter some form of congratulations while Harvey responds with an overly large smirk on his face. She finds herself staring at his lips, trying to make sense of what was coming out of them, but also not wanting to, seeing as he was talking utter crap.

"Sorry, what?" Donna smiles back to the woman as she zones back in, knowing she missed a question somewhere along the way.

"I said is it your first baby, honey?" she asks sweetly.

The stunned redhead begins to come around, realising she has no choice but to partake in this crazy charade now thanks to her spontaneous scene partner.

"Uhh, yes it is." she nods, forcing a smile. "We're very excited." Harvey almost laughs at how robotic she sounds, clearly not in the mood for an impromptu performance today.

"Oh that's wonderful, I wish you both plenty of happiness." she grins at them both. "Although, I can see you already have that!"

Donna wants to laugh at the irony, and uncomfortableness, of it all, but can't help but smile at the adorable little woman, almost two feet smaller than her, vaguely reminding her of her paternal grandmother. "Thank you, that's very kind of you."

When the lady leaves, taking herself over to the other side of the store to rearrange some shelves, Donna lets out a heavy sigh, turning on her heels to send him an angry look, but her annoyance is smothered by amusement when she meets his god awful grin. The one that makes her forget every terrible thing he's ever done. _Almost._

"What the hell was that!?" she breaths out, whacking his shoulder before he soothes it with his hand, feigning hurt.

"My best performance to date." he quips back as her widened eyes judge his every movement. "What? You're not the only one around here who enjoys a bit of acting.." he defends, "you're just mad that I outshone you." he cheekily whispers as he leans closer, his voice deep and heavy, a familiar boyishness about him that has her feeling suddenly nostalgic.

Donna grins back, her bottom lip lowered in shock at his daring statement. " _Outshone_ me?"

"Don't feel bad, I beat everyone at their talents," he nods unable to take his eyes off of her, "it's kinda _my_ talent."

She shakes her head at him in disbelief, realising that she almost forgot how incredibly cocky he could be.

They were both inwardly aware that this is the first truly _them_ moment they were sharing in too long. And neither of them wanted it to end.

"Well sorry, you kinda caught me off guard there," she defends, "maybe a little warning next time?"

"Oh, so you want there to be a next time?" He leans against the railing, his elbow supporting his weight on it as he watches her reaction.

"You're being ridiculous.." Donna stares at him awhile longer before deciding their fun was over. There was only so much of the old them her slowly healing heart could take these days. "I'm heading back to the firm, some of us have work to do!"

"Not gonna take Pink Panther with you?" he calls out to her, holding up the pink piece as she nears the door.

"It's not my size." she teases without missing a beat, pressing her lips together as she widens her eyes before the jingle of the door bell is breaking the silence and she disappears out onto the street.

He releases a sigh of relief. Relief that she took his latest stunt well. Relief that she laughed and smiled and rolled her eyes just like she would have done before. And also, relief that his best friend seemed to be coming back to him, albeit at a snail's pace, but better than no pace at all. Which hopefully meant she'd be ready to talk with him soon. About un-friendlike things. That was his plan now, getting them as close as possible to how they used to be, so confessing all of his feelings wouldn't be as hard and she'd be less likely to run from him.

When he goes to put the hanger back on the rail, he spots another great piece. He softly beams to himself as he stares at the item, a pink babygrow covered in the most fitting statement he thinks he's ever seen; _I know I'm awesome, I take after my godmother._

With a handsome stride he takes himself up to the check-out, warmly nodding at the young girl behind it as he puts down both onesies and takes out his wallet.

Harvey finds the rest of his walk back to the firm quite interesting. His mind suddenly filled with babies. His babies. And hers. _Theirs_. And which shade of red their hair would be. _Probably strawberry blonde,_ he thinks, before shaking the thought, knowing he shouldn't be thinking it. Not yet at least.

 **…**

Another two weeks pass and Harvey and Donna find themselves in yet another one of their offices together, alone. It's almost midnight and Mike had just left four hours prior in a rush to meet his now labouring fiancé at the hospital. She wasn't due for another two weeks but it seemed the baby wasn't willing to wait any longer.

Donna was leaving for home an hour before she ended up staying, stopping in his doorway once she saw him sitting at his desk in his darkened office, slightly confused as to why he was still here so late when he didn't have any urgent cases to close. Little did she know he was slowly trying to build up the courage to ask her in for a drink to celebrate the good news.

She couldn't not say something about Mike and Rachel about to have their first child, so she lightly tapped on the glass, smiling as he looked up at her with a smirk of his own. One thing lead to another and she found herself inside having pre-celebratory drinks with him. They even decided to bust out the can opener and thumb tacks once he convinced her that their old pre-trial ritual could be used as a "pre-birth ritual" tonight. She laughed at his ridiculousness before the liquor agreed to it.

The pair share some more of Harvey's finest scotch now, sitting on his black leather couch set while they eagerly await news on the birth of their first godchild. Donna's in the armchair to his right as he sits in the corner of the couch closest to her. He has some old record playing mildly in the background to help fill the inevitable few awkward silences that would occur. But they were on their third glass each by now and both becoming increasingly more comfortable around one another as the alcohol warmed their veins.

"No!" Donna chuckles. "She'll definitely be like her mother ..I hope." she adds jokingly. "I mean, one photographic memory in my life is _more_ than enough, thank you!"

Harvey smirks into his glass, nodding in both amusement and agreement before he takes a drink and swallows it down with a warm grin. One that creases the lines at the corners of his eyes and knots the muscles in her lower abdomen. Much to her annoyance. His true smile making her breath catch ever so slightly as she truly realises just how much she has missed it, and more so, missed being the one to cause it.

She watches as he looks into the bottom of his tumbler then, inhaling deeply, telling her that he was about to come out with something in that soft tone of voice he seemed to love to use on her, especially during late nights alone together. The voice she has missed almost more than the smiles he gives her.

"If we're lucky, she'll take after her godmother too." He only looks back to her when his words are met with a deafening silence that nearly blankets over the smooth, soulful jazz music that fails to fully mask this sudden quietness.

They share an incredibly charged gaze. Their eyes forming their very own sign language as her lashes slowly flutter and his pupil's enlarge, mirroring her own darkening pair.

He glances to her lips next, without even realising. His own beginning to tingle at the sight of her plump, rosy pair. As his top lip twitches, unnoticeably to someone who wasn't Donna, he drags his eyes away, clearing his already perfectly clear throat as he shuffles in his seat. Still finding himself desperate to talk things through with her, he decides to bring it up now, hoping she has had enough time since their personally painful _platonic_ break up.

"Donna," he whispers in an almost pleading tone before he looks into her dazzling eyes, still glistening even in the dimly lit office. He stalls a moment, searching for the emerald flecks among the light hazel, "I think it's time we had that talk, don't you?"

Her eyes dart to his fingers, anxiously and quietly tapping the side of his glass. It kills her to not speak. But she finds herself stuck for an answer when her bottom lip lowers and her eyes widen as he notices her irises begin to tremble somewhat. When she hears her pulse beating inside her ears, she realises she's somehow still not ready. Not ready to give the man that so recently neglected her heart, another chance to touch it. Although, if she was honest with herself, he was already holding it in the palms of his hands for the last thirteen years.

But she hasn't forgotten that the baby still isn't born yet. So she can't run the risk of them fighting like cats and dogs during such a joyful time for everyone.

As a montage of bitter memories begin brutally ball-dancing their way around her brain, she soon finds herself stuck on one vivid and arduous moment from the night they kissed. After he followed her up to the rooftop of what was then still known as Pearson Specter Litt.

 **…**

The courageous redhead found herself mindlessly staring into the sea of towering buildings before her. The light emitting from the sky scrapers blurring along with her vision as she began to zone out. Soon immersing herself in harmful thoughts once her autopilot setting had worn off.

Her arms cradled her body as the nighttime chills seeped into her bones. The sleeves of her black dress not near enough to keep her limbs warm, her legs already numbing to the frosty chill. The more she thought about what she had just done, the less she felt the cold. Trepidation and adrenaline pumping through each vein and artery ever since she had pressed her lips to his on an unexpectedly inspired whim.

She forced her eyes shut once she heard him appear some five feet behind her. His footsteps crunching against the gravely surface, sending shivers down each nerve that wired her lengthy spine. She had hoped he wouldn't have thought to look up there seeing as they had never been up on the rooftop together. His quick arrival only reminded her that he always knew her better than she gave him credit for.

"Harv-" she whispered with her back still turned to him before he cut her off.

"What the hell was that, Donna!?" he spat out, not sure he was even ready for her response.

"My answer." she sighed calmly, slowly blinking as she prepared herself for a harrowing showdown, realising she was going to have to be the level-headed one. Or at least try to be.

Harvey furrowed his brows as his mouth remained agape. "Your answer?" he parroted, his tone sounding as though every second he spent up there, with her, was more agonisingly uncomfortable than the last. "To what?"

"My own question." she replied lightly, a painful smile that dulled her eyes curling at her lips.

"Which was what, exactly!?" Harvey demanded, throwing his hands into the bitter air before they smacked back down at his sides, clenching soon after.

She could sense his growing agitation over how composed she seemed to be. Not yet even facing him. So she decided not to poke the already angry bear. She turned on her heels, looking into his rage-filled pupils. So different than the ones she left in the office just moments beforehand. Her ' _I just had to know'_ seeming so long ago already.

Every single thing between them felt different. Everything they had known and become accustomed to over the years. Slipping through their fingers and dissipating into the cold breeze. There was a bitterly thick tension in the space they shared that they could almost taste, only growing by the second as it threatened to smother them both.

"How I love you." she finally breathed out, her top lip quivering slightly, and not because of the chill.

Her admission had him visibly taken aback. His furious, hardened expression began to give way to a slightly more intrigued, yet vulnerable one. After swallowing back the frog in his throat, he was still finding it impossible to voice a reply.

Donna let out a brief, dry chuckle, shooting her eyes to the sky and shaking her head. " _Of course_ you stop quizzing me the second I mention that forbidden word! Too afraid to hear my answer, Harvey?"

Her bold attitude flicked his combative switch right back on, returning him to a state of anger and defensiveness.

"Okay, Donna," he sighed heavily, shaking his head as he looked off to the right, waving his hands once more before he met her gaze again, trying, and failing, to both look and sound indifferent about her discovery, "what did you find out, then?"

"A couple of things actually." Donna nodded lightly, biting the inside of her lip which was almost turning blue in the near arctic-like breeze.

She took in a brave breath then, so she could say her next piece without choking on her words as Harvey stood there, his wounded eyes burning holes through her own.

"That I love my best friend as more than _just_ a best friend." the teary redhead let out, shrugging with relief somewhat. Her voice becoming ever so wobbly towards the end as the dreaded words finally fell out of her mouth.

Classic Harvey lasted all of two seconds before he had to look away. Unnerved by what her confession made him feel deep inside. Just like what her kiss had done to him some ten minutes prior. The feelings he had tried to swallow down deeper with each passing day, suddenly peering out amongst the few cracks that had appeared throughout the years.

Once he finally found the courage to look back to her, he tried to alter the direction of the subject. His nose beginning to sting as a light layer of tears formed over his vision. He almost choked on his words as his pulse start beating more rapidly, his breath sharpening.

"And the second thing?"

Her next answer proved even harder to say out loud. But she forced herself to spit it out eventually. It was then or never, she told herself.

"That my best friend loves me as more than _just_ a best friend." she whispered, her lashes fluttering heavily afterwards. Half afraid to observe his reaction to her declaration even though she was sure it was true after that kiss.

"Donna.." Harvey warned, at a complete loss for anything else to say in that moment. Her words hitting him full force and temporarily ridding his entire extensive vocabulary, bar one name, from the linguistic left hemisphere of his brain.

"Tell me I'm wrong, Harvey." she challenged, narrowing her eyes as her brows lowered.

Again, he avoided giving her an answer, referring back to her latest actions instead. "You had no right."

"I don't care." she laughed, the sound lacking any humour however, as she recalled a similar heated exchange of theirs from a few years previous.

Doubt hadn't had a chance to show its ugly head yet, and the adrenaline pumping through her body had her feeling just as brave as when she kissed him.

" _You don't care?"_ he repeats in utter disbelief. "I'm in a relationship with somebody, and you just _don't care,_ is that what you're saying!?"

Her hardened shell slowly began to crack as the reality of what he had just said started to chip away at her brave exterior. "I wasn't thinking about any of that, Har-"

"Oh, how convenient!" he scoffed, dragging out his words as he waved his hands around below his waist.

"Sorry for putting myself first for the first time since I've known you, Harvey!" she screamed back, unapologetically. Her voice becoming raspier, more bitter. "And I'm sorry if you feel guilty about it, but I didn't ask you to kiss me back. So maybe you should be asking yourself _why_ you're feeling guilty?"

"How dare you?" he breathed out, failing to say it with as much conviction as he had hoped. Childhood memories suddenly consuming his every thought.

"You felt something, Harvey," Donna cried, "just admit it for Christ's sake!" She furiously sliced her hands through the air to release some of her frustration.

Harvey paused for a brief moment, as if about to admit defeat. Until infidelity start playing on his mind again.

"You know what, Donna? I did." he nodded somewhat sarcastically as his eyes scanned the rooftop before targeting hers again. "I felt _betrayed._ "

His brief sentence acts like a tiny, but lethal sword, slowly stabbing into her throbbing heart.

"Betrayed that the _one woman_ in my life.." Harvey found himself inhaling a deep breath, hit with a sudden wave of emotion as his voice began to quake, "the _one_ _person_ that I've felt like I could always trust, no matter what.. could do something so reckless, in regards to our friendship."

Donna didn't even try, or care, to hold back her tears then. Letting them both trickle down her cheeks as she blinked through his heartbreaking admission. She swallowed before speaking again.

"The ' _one woman'?_ " she reiterated with a dash of doubt and a sign of surprise. "What about.." Donna realised she actually felt more guilt than she let on when she found herself unable to say _her_ name, especially with his bulging eyes trained on her.

He was astonished, to say the least, at how his night had turned out. At how quickly things had changed between them. At how honest she was being. He only replied with a stubborn shake of his head as he clenched his jaw, nostrils flared like a raging bull's.

"I never set out to hurt you, Harvey." she whispered, seeing how much her last line of questioning had stung him.

He knew that much was true. He may have been angry and blinded in regards to most of their other issues, but this was not one of them. One thing he knew for certain, was that Donna Paulsen would never intentionally hurt him.

After a heavy sigh, she noticed his shoulders relax somewhat, not to say he still wasn't highly guarded.

"Then why did you do it, Donna? Why _now?"_

The intonation behind his question caught her off guard. His emphasis on the _now._ As if the timing of it all was his main issue. She decided not to over think it. For her own sanity.

"I did it to try and repair _me_ , Harvey. Can't you see? I've been lost for I don't know how long. And now I finally know." the redhead sighed, remaining as strong as ever, yet still not afraid to show her vulnerability, not anymore. "I just had to know."

"Know what?" he exhaled, still confused somewhat as he pursed his lips, his eyes pleading for more details.

"What's been slowly eating away at me all these years. So slowly that I only felt it all hitting me tonight." Donna elaborated, biting her lip afterwards.

"Me?" Harvey quizzed, knitting his brows ready to go on defense.

"Us!" she clarified with added agitation.

"You're the one that said there could never be an us!" he shouted back, so loudly he almost wondered if the pedestrians fifty floors down could hear him.

Donna was stunned, in disbelief that he had even voiced something like that. The words coming out of his mouth may as well have been in Portuguese for all she could make sense of them. Well, more so of the tone behind them. Like he resented her for them not taking the next step all those moons ago. The thought of him being bitter about it all these years making her see every intimate moment they shared over the last decade in a whole new spectrum of light. She had to double-take him before she could utter a response.

"..I never said that." she defended faintly, pulling her head back as her brows knitted, her throat almost hoarse by this stage as her jaw began to chatter slightly. The cold finally having its impact on her now that she had sobered up from her adrenaline-high.

"You sure as hell implied it! With your god damn _rule_ , Donna!" She did not miss his detest as he emphasised the word, detecting his specific resentment over it for the first time since she re-enforced it. "We shared something special that night. We both felt it. It wasn't _just sex_. God knows what might have happened hadn't you nipped it right in the bud before we even got the chance to talk about it!"

He was rapidly unraveling now. The words falling out of his mouth so frantically and furiously that she didn't even take them in properly, just responding out of anger.

"Oh don't you dare blame me! You could have fought me on it. You could have spoken up like a god damn man? But no, you didn't even try! Just as long as I was still your secretary, right?"

"Sorry for wanting to respect you, Donna!?" he defended with more than a hint of sarcasm. "I didn't know if you wanted more or not. Not in that way. Not until tonight! I was afraid okay? Petrified."

"Of what!?" she cried out, desperate for a straight answer.

"You!" he cried, "Of hurting you! Of losing you! Of fall-" he just about stopped himself from saying 'of falling even more in love with you' once it actually dawned on him how much they had both just confessed amidst their tempered, yet passionate brawl.

"And there it is!" she laughed back in vain, waving her hands at her hips. "Yet another unfinished sentence."

"What's that supposed to mean?" he challenged, cocking his head to the side slightly as his eyes turned to slits.

Donna stepped forward, closing the gap by about a foot, the first one of them to do so since he arrived. Her finger was pointed towards the ground as she explained, slightly imitating him and their previous discussions as she did so.

"' _Just because it bothers me..'_ "

"Donna.." he warned, rolling his eyes and tensing his jaw at her performance.

She stepped even closer then, so there was only three feet between them.

"Oh! And let's not forget your ' _you know I love you, Donna'_ before you walked out on me. Something we've conveniently never finished discussing by the way?" she mused bitterly.

"But of course.. that's because ' _it doesn't mean..'_ right?" she scoffed, rolling her eyes as she purposely feigned a smile, one that lit a fire in her pupils that he felt burn his skin as she sent him daggers before a brief pause.

"You sure it doesn't mean anything, Harvey?" she chuckled then, somewhat amused over their mess off a relationship, before straightening back up and wrinkling her brows in question. "Because usually people don't need to say it so much if it doesn't?"

Harvey curled his lip, sick off all the bitter truths she was throwing his way. "I'm not sure of anything anymore, Donna." he growled.

"Meaning?"

"I don't know who we are right now." he said in defeat, bunching his lips together afterwards.

"Who I am, you mean.." She was becoming more nervous now, feeling as if she was losing him.

"Yeah," he whispered, not even sure if he truly meant it or not, "I guess so."

Donna's mouth fell open an inch as her eyes trembled with fear. The whites of them more exposed than they had been all night. She inhaled a deep breath, expelling all of her anxieties as she exhaled.

"I guess I'm just the girl you met in the bar all those years ago, again." she responded, sounding sweeter than she had since her few spoken words before leaving him standing in her office. She wanted him to know that they could start afresh, a clean slate, like the day they met. But it also sounded too much like they were strangers to each other, again.

As their eyes locked on one another, both swelling with fresh tears, making it even harder for them to recognise the suddenly different person standing before them, she swore she could see him about to inch closer, his facial features softening, giving in to the emotions being pumped from his heart to his brain as they milled around in his head, before turning into nagging thoughts.

And just as quickly, she sees his demons return as he no doubt thinks about the fact that he's still in a relationship. Not that she wanted him to cheat. She would never allow that and he would never even initiate it. But she had hoped that he was finally ready to admit one hundred percent of his feelings. The feelings she knew he carried.

"Well," he began, looking away before he continued, "I'm not the guy you met in that bar anymore, Donna. Not for you. Not after tonight."

As he finally released the breath he'd been holding, he chanced looking up from her feet to her eyes, immediately wishing he didn't as her pained expression shattered his heart into a million fragments.

Donna simply stood there, sending him the most heart-wrenchingly broken smile he's ever seen. Before she vanished without another word. Leaving him to stew in his own sickening regret as he moved to peer over the wall of the rooftop. Wishing he could throw all of his torturous thoughts and heavy emotions right over the edge.

 **…**

And yet now, as she stares into those eyes that were so full of confusion and disappointment that night, she sees that guy from the bar all those years ago once more. Except he was a grown man now. Asking her to talk things through once and for all. Asking for that clean slate she offered when he wasn't ready to accept it.

As she forces herself to mutter something, anything, she finds herself jumping slightly as Harvey's phone vibrates against the glass table below them. She's left in a daze while he goes to pick it up.

"It's Mike." he smiles softly, both eager to hear his friend's news and somewhat disappointed that it had to arrive at such an inconvenient time.

Donna clears her throat lightly, desperately ridding herself of her nerves so excitement could take over. "You should answer it." she whispers.

Harvey breaks their anguishing eye contact, reaching down to pick up the device, silencing the raucous as he answers the call, putting it on speaker for Donna.

"Mike," he smirks, "tell us the good news."

"Ten fingers, ten toes and seven pounds ten ounces." the young man beams.

"Mike that's amazing!" Donna interjects. "We can't wait to meet her! How's Rachel? I hope she's getting lots of rest." she grins, her cheeks already starting to ache with happiness.

"Yeah she's pretty exhausted now but she can't wait for you guys to meet little _Edith_ tomorrow." he replies, his voice full of awe and wonder as he stares down at the tiny newborn in his arms, wrapped in a cosy, light pink Cashmere baby blanket Donna had gifted them.

The redhead gasps lightly as she puts her hands to her mouth. "Edith." she whispers. "What a beautiful name, Mike." she adds tearfully, straightaway knowing who her goddaughter was named after.

"It's a great name, Mike." Harvey adds with a solemn smile.

"I actually think she even looks like Grammy a bit," Mike chuckles, "they're so wrinkly when they're first born.. but I've never met someone so beautiful," he beams, "she has her mom's eyes for sure."

Donna's impatience increases the more he talks about the baby. "Send us a picture when you can! Visiting time is too far away, I can't take another eight hours.."

Both Harvey and Mike let out a simultaneous chuckle. "I second that." the older man agrees then, before glancing at Donna, all of his pearly whites on display.

"I will." he reassures them.

There's a faint sound of crying next, leaving Donna sighing with adoration as she finally gets to hear her goddaughter. "Oh she's saying hi! Hello baby Edith!" she whispers in a soft, mushy tone still wearing an ecstatic grin.

Harvey find himself stuck staring at the redhead. Stuck in a familiar feeling that warms his heart. One he can't quite shake or even place. He thinks on it for a second before he realises it's not a real feeling. Just one he had in a dream once.

Donna feels his deepening gaze as it almost scorches her skin. She can't help but look at him then, her breath catching slightly.

"I think baby Edith is hungry. We better wake up Mommy." Mike whispers to the child then as he stirs in his chair beside a sleeping Rachel.

"Alright _Dad_ , we better let you go then," Harvey smirks proudly, looking back to his screen next, "send Rachel our best."

"Yes. Can't wait to see you three!" Donna agrees, leaning in slightly to speak into the phone Harvey was still holding between them.

"Thanks guys, you too. Good night." Mike says softly before hanging up.

Donna lets out an elated sigh as Harvey slides the phone back onto the glass. "Well I guess we're officially godparents then!" she beams.

"I guess so." he smirks before lightly biting his bottom lip.

Before they can get caught up in another intense staring contest, she picks her tumbler back up off of the table and holds it out between them, beaming with pride. "To Edith."

"To Edith." he mimics hoarsely.

They clink their glasses and finish the mouthfuls that were left before placing them back down.

Donna inhales a measured breath, hands on her thighs, smoothing out the fabric of her royal-blue dress. "Alright, now that the wait is finally over, I'm gonna head home."

His head follows her as she stands up, towering over him now before he mirrors her actions, meeting her gaze as he rises to speak.

"I was just about to call Ray before it gets too late. Let me take you home," he murmurs casually, becoming less bold as her brow darts upwards slightly, her face blank and somewhat surprised, "beats waiting for a cab."

"Harvey.." she smiles knowingly, warning him in the softest way she knew how.

"It's just a car ride, Donna."

"Except it's not." she whispers, her smiling facade faltering with each breath.

Harvey clenches his jaw. Not out of anger, but dismay. Nodding before he blinks slowly and forces a warm smile, for her.

"Goodnight, Donna."

As she thinks about moving to leave, she finds herself frozen. Unable to leave things so formally like that. Not when it was such a joyous night for them and their friends.

"Goodnight, Harvey." Her sweet tone is met with outstretched arms as she gently pulls him in for a quick embrace.

However, as soon as he's aware of what's happening and his hands are wrapped around her lower back, she finds it impossible to keep it short. Unexpectedly hit with the safeness of him around her, her eyes fall shut as she perfectly nestles her chin into the crook of his neck, her cheek kissing the side of his head, her nostrils simply unable to avoid subtly inhaling his scent. One she hasn't allowed herself to be consumed by since that incredible night in her apartment all those years ago.

He squeezes even tighter as he feels her warm to him, nuzzling into her as she did him. He breaths in her shampoo as the delicious aroma melts his senses, before her alluring perfume is meeting him next. The feelings arising in him don't scare him for once. It's as if his body knows she belongs in his arms, something his mind was starting to catch up to in recent months.

"I'm sorry for everything." he whispers as he holds onto her like he's about to lose her.

Her nose begins to sting as the tears well up under her closed lids. She sniffs back her response, unable to speak as the impact of their heavy physical contact tugs at her.

He feels her right hand run from the top of his spine to the nape of his neck. Her delicate fingers smoothing over the the collar of his shirt before they meet his skin, igniting a line of fire down his spine.

It becomes undeniably clear to both that this is no longer a quick, friendly goodbye hug. And that it probably never was to begin with. Because this pair doesn't do quick, friendly goodbye hugs. In fact, they don't do hugs full stop. This was the first time they had ever held each other this intimately in all the years they've known one another. It was the kind of hug that made up for the non-existence of all the ones that should have came before it.

Of course they had slept together before. And admired one another's bodies in all the ways their young hearts had always wanted to. And still want to. But this was on another level. A painfully overdue embrace charged with years of memories that now all seemed to ask one question; _what if?_

He knew two seconds into the hold that he wasn't going to be the first to let go. So as he feels her almost reluctantly loosen her hands from behind him he slowly begins to follow suit. His own grazing over her waist as he slides them off of her back. The muscles in her abdomen knot up under his touch as she slides her hands down his shoulders. Her fingers lightly scratching his chest as her hands fall back to her sides. Their eyes locked on one another's lips the entire time.

They're fully disconnected now and yet feel like they're still attached. Their burning bodies still fueled by fresh endorphins. And some alcohol.

Donna elicits a small, faux cough under his heavy eye contact. "I'll see you at the hospital in the morning."

He nods, blinking back under his fog of arousal, watching her turn her back as she gathers her coat and bag from the couch. She looks back at him once more with a gentle smile before she's making her way out the door.

"Donna," he calls out, waiting for her to turn back just before she made it outside. Once her eyes are locked on his and her brows are raised in wait of his question, he continues, "Ray and I will pick you up at 7:30." he nods with an innocent smirk, his tone making it sound like more of a question, giving her the option to decline again if she wishes.

"See you at 7:30, Harvey." she nods back, mirroring his smile as she presses her lips together, her eyes relaxing into her response.

As he watches her fading figure disappearing down the corridor, he finds himself already wishing the next eight hours of his life away.

Donna gets inside the elevator when her phone buzzes and she finds herself rummaging through her handbag. She messes her brows when the screen lights up to reveal the sender. As she clicks into the message her face melts. Tears already brewing at the sight of the hour-old newborn, sallow skinned and dark haired, sleeping soundly in her mother's arms.

Her heart pinches as she reads the short but sweet message attached to the picture;

 _'In love with her already,_

 _-H'_

 _._

 _._

 _._

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear your thoughts! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey everyone,**

 **Apologies for the late update. But it's here now, completely angst free (who am i?) and full of Harvey pursuing Donna like should have done years ago!**

 **Thanks for all the kind reviews and etc so far, very much appreciated as it helps keep me motivated!**

 **Warning: lots of baby fluff**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _Emeralds for Edith_

The next morning finally arrives and Donna makes her way out onto the bright, yet still somewhat quiet street. Just a few pedestrians and early work commuters sweeping by.

The redhead lets the door to her apartment building fall shut behind her, her right hand dropping to join her other which was holding onto her black Marni purse.

She takes him in for a moment as she stands on the concrete steps. Leaning against the Lexus as he waits for her, one leg crossed over the other and hands buried in his pockets. She reckons that it's far too early in the morning for the both of them to be grinning this big but neither can help it, given the day that's in it. And neither want to help it either.

"Donna." he greets deeply with a good-natured nod, pushing himself off the car with ease and smirking as he takes in her approaching form.

A cream Cashmere coat, over probably another Cashmere sweater, and dark jeans with black boots. He feels like it's been too long since he's seen her dressed so casually. Her autumn-leaf hair falling more naturally also, not styled to within an inch of its life. Her make up is lighter too, almost non-existent. But her excited smile is the best thing she's wearing by a mile, he thinks.

"Harvey." she mirrors, inhaling as she does so.

He's dressed down this morning. A dark grey shirt peering out under his black coat. She's always loved the added warmth that seemed to radiate off of him when he wasn't wearing his lawyer costume. He looks like he could just be any guy. But he's not. And he never has been. Not for her.

It has also always knocked her off her Harvey-radar slightly though. Without any ties or hair gel for her keen eye to examine, she was usually a little less wise as to how happy or stressed or nervous he was going to be. Something that probably should have made her feel more apprehensive, less in control. But once they were outside of the firm, she didn't need to be on top of everything or counter his every move and be two steps ahead at all times. She could just be Donna. She could just be his friend.

As she stops up in front of him, he pulls out a modest-sized bouquet of pink tulips and calla lilies from behind his back. Something even she never sees coming whenever he does it, especially not this time.

"For New York's best godmother." he informs with confidence as he hands them to her with a cheesy smirk.

The redhead sends him a questionable glare, raising her left brow as her teeth disobey her and begin to part her lips into a hearty smile.

"The _world's.._ best godmother." he corrects, lowering his chin at her.

"That's more like it." she teases, finally extending her hand to gratefully accept the flowers, not missing how he remembered they were her favourites, before looking down at them with a light-hearted sigh. "I feel like we're gonna be drowning in _pretty pinks_ for at least the next ten years."

The way she says ' _we'_ catches him slightly. The thought of her lumping them together like that giving him even more hope for their chance at a future together. He opens the car door then and waits for her to take a step forward.

"At least we'll have each other to complain to." he says casually, pressing his lips together as he looks out onto the street.

He pretends not to notice how her smile falters before she slides onto the back seat and he shuts the door, smugly making his way over to the other side, looking like the cat who just got the _whipped_ cream.

…

The ride over to the hospital is easy. They're not full of chat the entire journey, but any silence they do encounter is comfortable. The quietness filling with waves of nostalgia as both reminisce about simpler times. Times where they've shared these car rides before. When he would surprise her with friendly dates or generous shopping excursions.

Donna curiously breaks their silence with the need to verbalise a question rolling around in her brain as she throws her head in his direction, brows knitted in wonder.

"When was the last time you even held a baby?"

He pulls his gaze from the streets and back to her, his eyes meeting a charmingly inquisitive frown before he answers.

"When Marcus' youngest was born."

"Jeesh," she chuckles dryly before looking out the window musingly, shaking her head in surprise, "how have you beaten me at that.."

"Why, when was the last time _you_ held a baby?" His intrigue only rises as he awaits her response.

She hears how he's smirking when he asks his question, making her even more reluctant to want to answer, but she does anyway.

"2007.." she mumbles into the window.

"What?" He blurts out in disbelief, turning his entire torso to face her now, forcing her to look back at him with a defensive eye-roll.

"What..? I don't have many friends with kids..if any,"

She's fiddling with the button of her coat, trying to ignore his baffled reaction before she chances changing the subject somewhat.

"It was my cousin's kid, they were visiting from Ireland."

"Irish," he nods, nostrils flared, biting his lip with mischief before casually looking away as he pretends not to remember her bringing it up years before, just so he can tease her a bit, "that makes sense."

"Did you just glance at my hair before you said that?" she chuckles with a disapproving glare.

"Maybe," he frowns lightly, trying to act serious while glancing ahead as his tongue plays with the inside of his cheek, "but it's not _just_ that.."

"What else, then?" she prods, a smile curling as she twists her body to face him fully, readying herself for one of his awful jokes that he was probably going to end up explaining like he always does.

Harvey turns his head towards her a second later, catching her stare in his. There's an invigoratingly boyish essence about him now as she watches his nares double in size. As they do whenever he's in a joyful mood, much to her own amusement.

"Your freckles." he whispers, leaning in a few inches, his tone low and verging on flirtatious.

She watches his line of vision drop to her cheeks next, knowing he was studying the light few that resided there. A second later his pupils involuntarily lurk down her neck, where just her collar bone was exposed, showcasing a few dispersed flecks of gold where the sun had stamped her snowy skin.

He clears his throat as his eyes flicker back up to her own pair which were still staring at him. He notices her chest rising and falling at a slower, more practiced pace. Deciding that she spotted the affection behind his jesting comment, he clears his throat and morphs his face into another teasing frown.

"And your unnerving ability to hold your liquor."

Donna looks him over, well as much of him as he gives her what with his head facing out the window again, waiting for her to fire back with some witty response. Instead, she bites her tongue, literally and figuratively, as she glances toward her bouquet sat between them. She quickly picks it up and before he knows it, his arm receives a stealthy whack from the pretty pink petals.

"Asshole.." He sees her mutter with a terribly tampered down grin as she shakes her head, staring out her own window now.

He soothes his arm in faux hurt, frowning at her until she looks back at him. Both of them perfectly mirroring those playful, amorous dispositions they have perfected for one another over the years while they engage in yet another stare down. Him quirking his brow back in response to hers, both snickering once more before looking away again as their cheeks begin to ache.

…

The dynamic duo firmly make their way into the maternity unit of the hospital. Side by side in their old, synchronised catwalk style.

Donna sneaks a few glances up at him and his visible discomfort after each heavily pregnant lady they pass, some of them slowly walking the corridors in preparation for labour. She smirks to herself, enjoying his hilariously obvious unease far too much.

"It's the most natural thing in the world, you know?" she says with a calming smirk, side-eyeing him as they continue through the halls on their way to Rachel's room.

"I know.." he murmurs quietly, glancing around as if worried his nervousness might be detected by the nearby patients or nurses, "I've just never been in this," he pauses, looking around as he tries to find a suitable word before glancing back to her, " _environment_ …before is all."

" _Environment?"_ she teases with her left brow quirked as high as her amusement.

"Yes."

"Oh my god an entire ecosystem made up of maternity wards, baby bumps and labouring moms…how frightening!" Donna mocks, popping her eyes with effortless exaggeration as her hand catches her heart.

"Hilarious, Donna."

He gives her a faux unimpressed frown before he stops outside a light-oak door with '28' stamped on a silver metal frame, pausing to turn back to her then.

"I imagine it's only _frightening_ when it's to do with strangers.."

"What do you mean?" she chuckles in bemusement.

"I _mean_ ," he starts, dragging out the sound as he speaks, "if I were here because of _my_ kid…I'm sure the _environment_ wouldn't be so _daunting_."

She hates herself for even letting her thoughts go there. Into baby land.. _with him_. She breaks their knowing eye contact after a moment too long and lightly directs her finger towards the door.

"This is us."

Harvey maintains his gaze awhile longer, letting her know he wasn't going to be fazed by her feigned nonchalance. He pushes open the door then, gesturing for her to enter before him, watching as she strides by him and into their friend's room.

"Heyyy, look who it is," Mike beams, shuffling in his chair beside an exhausted but cheerful looking Rachel, holding a tiny pink-wrapped human in her arms, " _The Godparents."_

"Please, Mike," Rachel scolds, tiredly but light-heartedly, "no movie jokes…not this early."

"Good morning," Donna whispers in a bubbly tone, edging into the room with an ecstatic grin as Harvey tows behind, placing a gift bag and Rachel's bouquet onto a nearby table as Donna drops her purse there too, "where's my little munchkin?"

"Right here," Rachel replies with excitement and pride as they near the end of her bed, "she's just had her morning feed and is _still_ wide awake!"

"Of course she is," Donna remarks jokingly before throwing her thumb towards Harvey behind her, "she knew we were coming!"

Moving closer, the vivacious redhead joins her friend at the head of the bed while Harvey remains at the foot, smiling cheerfully. At the sight of his goddaughter of course, and his friends. But also at the fresh flames of pure exhilaration sparking from the redhead in that very moment as she locked eyes on the baby.

He watches as Rachel carefully hands Edith over to Donna. And how she takes her into her arms with ease. As if it was the most natural thing in the world, and 2007 was just yesterday.

Mike stands upright then, with Harvey meeting him for a celebratory pat-on-the-back-style hug and words of congratulations and thanks, before they both look back towards the wriggling baby.

"Hello, Edith." Donna whispers, all of her teeth poking out of her broadened, beautiful smile as she gazes down at seven pounds and ten ounces of pure angelic beauty, while gently rocking her in her arms. "I'm Donna." she finishes, before choking back a few tears.

The three others joyfully gaze at her and the newborn, all smiling at how great the two looked together.

Donna senses their stares then, looking up to Harvey who she notices is still at the end of the bed. "She won't bite, you know?"

"Only because she hasn't got any teeth yet." Mike teases as he walks back to his chair.

Harvey sighs warmly, before stepping his way towards the comforting sight of domesticity that unearths a few hazy memories of what he seemed to be dreaming about for awhile now.

"And this is Harvey," the doting redhead adds in her soft, new-found motherly voice, looking up at him again with a cheeky smirk before continuing her first conversation with her goddaughter, "he may seem a little..standoffish at first, but you're gonna melt that iron heart of his, aren't you?"

He just smiles at the woman, inwardly hoping for the day he could tell her that _she_ was the one to do that all these years.

The baby brings her hands to her face next, rubbing her scrunched up eyes as she squirms in Donna's arms before opening her deliciously dark hazel pair, looking up at her godparents for the first time.

"Hey, look at you, beautiful!" Donna whispers softly, before excitedly glancing up at Harvey.

He instinctively raises his left hand, extending his index finger to the child's tiny palm until all of her fingers are wrapped around just one of his.

"Hello, Edie." he gently murmurs, in awe.

" _Edie,_ " Mike nods in approval, his palm landing on a beaming Rachel's lap, "I like it."

Donna finds herself mesmerised by the joining of hands in front of her. His firm, masculine digit, softened by the warmth of four fun-sized fingers and a tiny thumb. She leans her head down then, planting a kiss on the baby's forehead, lightly inhaling that newborn scent as she feels his warmth securely shadowing over them both.

They share another gaze then, both smirking softly, like two idiots in love. Now falling in love with a third person.

Things had shifted even more so overnight for them so it seemed. The birth of the baby refocusing both of their attention to the important things in life. The last few months acting as the healing process to what now, with the new arrival felt - maybe even prematurely - like the healed.

Looking into those fresh, innocent eyes together, knowing they both shared their own little stamp on her for the rest of her life and theirs, kind of made all else go out the window. And as much as he was still itching to talk about everything, and she still somewhat scratching to get away from all of the painful memories that was sure to drag up, they now felt like things were undeniably heading in a more positive and progressive direction. Taking their natural course if you will. It no longer felt like they had to push things or to run from things. It was going to come to an end soon, this separation of sorts, one way or another. And now, the birth of one little girl marked the beginning of the end for their tedious tiptoeing around one another and their tumultuous relationship.

"Alright," Mike's voice cuts through their moment, both of them starting to shuffle as their eyes let go of one another, "time for a _god-_ family photo!"

Harvey sends him a knowing glare, as Rachel fails to hide her excitement at the idea.

Before long, Donna feels his arm around her waist, lightly resting on her right side as she moves closer to him then. His left hand is close to hers next, where she was gently resting it against the baby's side. His fingers graze hers as they position themselves for the photograph.

"Perfect," Mike nods, smugly looking at his screen as he relaxes back into his chair.

Donna fills her lungs as his fingers remain hovering over hers even after the photo is taken. He's looking down at the baby, somewhat in disbelief and amusement that the promising young man he met some six or seven years ago has completely turned his life around, and is now a father to a beautiful child. _Before him,_ he thinks too.

There's a deep and undeniable feeling settling between them in that very moment that the pair both seem to share; this was what they wanted. For themselves. _Together._

When they baby lets out a small cry, Donna rocks her in her arms, shushing her gently as she removes her hand from near his, placing her finger inside Edith's palm, comforting her back to a state of calm in no time at all.

"You're a natural."

His hands falls back to his sides as he smiles at her. Before shuffling on the spot then, feeling too many pairs of eyes on him at once. Especially hers which were blinking up at him with a rare timidness.

He clears his throat, his eyes drifting to the flowers he brought for Rachel on the small table beside him.

"Uh here, these are for you." he nods, moving toward the brunette, beautifully tinted roses in hand as he gives her a sweet hug and kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Harvey." she smiles during their sweet embrace.

"You do realise St. Patrick's Day was two months ago, right?" Mike toys, knowing full well why they were dark green instead of their natural red.

Harvey gives him a ' _fuck you'_ kind of eye-roll as Rachel steps to his defense, admiring the bouquet in hand.

"Emerald green," she beams, "to match her birthstone."

"That's why we also got you these.." Donna adds as she remains stood there gently swaying with the baby, nodding to the lilac gift bag she brought with her so Harvey would fetch it from the table.

Harvey hands the small bag to the brunette who looks to them both with a bashful grin. "You didn't have to get us more gifts, you guys."

"Just something small this time, promise." Donna reassures as Rachel takes out the the first black jewelry box.

Her smile infects her eyes as she opens up the pretty box, staring down at two silver keychain pendants. _Mom_ ingrained on one, and _Dad_ on the other. _Est 2018_ under them both. With a real emerald cemented into the silver of each.

"Guys this is so sweet, thank you!" she beams as Mike smiles, taking the box in hand as it hits him that he's officially a dad now.

Rachel opens the second jewelry box then, a gorgeous silver bracelet staring up at her, three stunning emeralds merged into the shiny metal band, _05-12-18_ elegantly engraved inside the piece.

"We know she's a bit young for jewelry, but we thought it would be nice for her to have something from the day she was born, for when she's old enough to wear it." Harvey nods thoughtfully.

"It's perfect, you guys," Mike smiles, followed by a gratefully nodding Rachel, "Thank you."

"But wait.." Rachel frowns with intrigue, "how did you know what date to have engraved?"

"I'm Donna." she quips before dropping her hip and explaining anyway, glancing back down at Edith.

"I called my jeweller guy last night and asked him to have two ready. One with yesterday's date and one with today's, just in case she waited til' after midnight to arrive." she smiles warmly, eyes landing on Rachel an Mike.

"The keychains were Harvey's idea."

"Awh, so thoughtful." Mike mocks lightly, before sending him a grateful grin.

"Alright that's enough sentiment for one day." Harvey frowns at him, turning to face Donna and the baby as he inwardly admires them both.

"Ohhh not quite, Mister," Donna interjects with a suggestive tone, "you haven't held her yet."

Of course he wants to hold her, but he sighs anyway because he's Harvey Specter and he can't have anyone, other than Donna, seeing too much of his softer side.

The redhead sends him a tentative glance as she gauges his reaction to her carefully holding Edith toward him. He can't hide his smile any longer as she invites him in, stepping closer to her immediately as their limbs work in sync to exchange the baby from her arms to his. Their tortuously close contact reminding them of their milestone hug some eight hours prior.

She misses the baby's warmth immediately, but soon finds it returning again at the sight before her. The tiny baby wrapped in his arms, making him look super-sized. _And incredibly attractive,_ she thinks to herself as the image of him with a newborn knots her stomach and has her feeling something unfamiliar, not recognising that feeling as broodiness, seeing as she has genuinely never experienced it before.

Donna continues smiling at the pair as Harvey tenderly sways the child just like he saw her doing moments beforehand, carefully ensuring to support her delicate frame.

"She's a lucky kid.." Harvey begins, waiting until Mike takes the bait.

"Let me guess, because you're her godfather?" the younger man scoffs.

"Because she didn't get her dad's looks," he says matter-of-factly, not taking his eyes off the kid as her fingers clasp around his once more, "..and that too."

"Awh, look at Mr. Sentimental over there." the younger man jibes back, feigning awe at the joined hands.

"You're just jealous I never hold your hand."

"Okay lovebirds, give it a rest." Donna sighs, her hand landing over the baby's blanketed feet, her thumb resting on his coated arm. "We don't want this little one picking up on your smart-ass attitudes."

Harvey double-takes her, wondering if her heard her right before furrowing his brows at the hilarity of her comment.

"Uhh, her godmother is _the_ biggest smart-ass I've ever met..?"

Donna drops her lip at his daring comeback, sending him a highly raised brow that almost makes him want to take it back, had he not still found it so funny.

"Well, I'm a _classy_ smart-ass.." she defends with lightly pouted lips, "an acquired trait that I will be passing on to this little one so she can deal with you two idiots when she's old enough to talk back."

Rachel and Mike chuckling off to their side interrupts their friendly tiff before they give up the act and send each other a warm smile as they gush over their godchild some more.

"Like you've been effortlessly doing with me all these years." he mumbles so that only she can hear. Almost shyly glancing down at her when she looks up at him, a sweet knowing smile forming at her lips.

…

As the pair step back outside the hospital entrance an hour later, Ray's Lexus stylishly swoops in from its previous parking spot, stalling in front of them as they shamelessly ogle each other, both gladly taking in the fresh air now.

"So.." Harvey starts, pressing his lips together in a failed attempt to dampen his embarrassingly huge smirk.

"So.."

She mirrors his tone, swaying on the spot as she clutches the straps of her handbag with both hands.

"It's Sunday.. so I guess Ray can just take me home?"

"He could do that.."

Harvey trails off, glancing over her frame and scanning their surroundings while Donna waits for him to continue.

"But I think he wants to take you on a date." he finishes when his eyes find hers again, swallowing back any ounce of fear that had tried to creep up as he locks eyes with her, the ends of her marmalade manes blowing in the soft breeze.

" _Ray,_ huh?" she toys, her heart beating out of her chest, not that her face would show it. "I mean, I always knew he had a thing for me but…wanting to date me? Who knew?" she finishes with a menacing pout.

He grins as she pops her eyes, her playful voice purposefully letting him know that she knew they weren't really referring to his beloved chauffeur at all.

"He has always wanted to," he states, a softer, more somber edge to his voice now, making her straighten up a bit as he spoke, "just didn't fully realise it until lately."

"Oh." she nods as she gathers a reaction, deciding to go with their usual banter and wit instead of showing how much it affected her. "Well I hope he knows he's gonna have to work for me. I'm not an easy catch."

"Oh _he knows_ that, don't worry." Harvey reaffirms, nodding with confidence as he opens her door for her.

She sits into the car, the sound of the door slamming shut waking her up slightly. She was sure this was just going to be one of their _friendly_ dates, in terms of location anyway, like the ones they used to have before. But she also knew that there was a subtle ripple of romance to it that he was eager to test the waters on.

As he slides in on his side beside her, she lets herself relax, deciding to let him take the lead on this one.

…

The pair's impromptu - on her behalf, at least - early morning date turned out to be at _their_ diner. Turns out there weren't many other options at 9 in the morning and quite frankly, he took them there on purpose. Ignoring the skeptical glance she sent him as he stopped outside the familiar door of the place she frequents often. And the one he's only been to twice before, with her.

 _So far,_ they haven't shared any heated moments, conversed with hidden meanings or let thick walls hold them back from enjoying each other's company. Just plenty of talking and eating. Sitting in the same booth as the first time but neither feeling any of the pain or disappointment that came from the memories of a younger them, in this very spot, failing to communicate what they both really wanted from the beginning all those years ago.

He playfully swats her hand away as she reaches for some of his pancakes with her fork, but she smacks his own right back. Because apparently hers didn't have enough syrup.

They sit there for an hour after their breakfast is finished, ordering coffees as an excuse to keep them there longer. Simply chatting and laughing and smiling. With the person they've missed doing each of those things with more than anything else in the world.

"I have something for you." he states after a comfortable silence brought on after a round of shared laughter.

The way he says it catches her by surprise. Stirring up some of the ghosted feelings she had tried so desperately to overcome ever since their painful rooftop brawl.

She matches his gaze then, her right index sliding over the rim of her small, white coffee cup as he rummages through his inside coat pocket without taking his eyes off of her.

"Oh yeah?" she replies casually, with an intrigued smirk nonetheless.

"Now it's not a pony…"

He holds up his left palm in mock defense as his right hand pulls out the long, narrow jewelry box, its style matching the ones they gave Mike and Rachel earlier.

"But I think you'll like it."

Her lengthy brows raise with intrigue as she connects the dots. The twinning boxes being her first clue that he purchased the piece without her knowing, while he stopped off to pick up the gifts for their friends that morning.

As he glides it over to her side of the creamy marble table, she lightly shakes her head at his antics. "Harvey-"

"Don't," he cuts her off with an adorably stern pout, "I wanted to get it for you and that's that."

The redhead lets out a defeated huff. Inwardly annoyed at how difficult he was making it for her to play hard to get. Now that she was coming around to the idea of them being _friends,_ for themselves and not just for their goddaughter - and even more insanely, the idea of them dating - she was looking forward to making him sweat, to have to work hard for the pleasure of her company. But he was being too god damn sweet with her. Instead, she felt like the one sweating, albeit for different reasons.

"It's not a bomb.." His deep tone slices through her thoughts, "what are you waiting for?"

She sighs, slides the box over the rest of the way and leans back into her seat, cracking it open without further hesitation as hazel green meets emerald green. Another stunning jewel shimmering up at her. A breathtaking pendant hanging from a silver chain. Simple and understated. A direct contradiction to its new owner. Making it the perfect complement. So he thought anyway.

"It's beautiful," she breaths out in astonishment, her forefinger delicately caressing the jewel, "I love it."

"Thought I'd get you something to mark the occasion too." he nods modestly before biting his lower lip. "And green is your colour so.."

She inhales on his complement, slightly overwhelmed at all the sudden attention she was getting from him. Not that he never payed her any before. Just that this was a different kind of affection. The romantic kind.

"Thank you, Harvey."

Donna slowly closes the box again, studying the relief, and a hint of something else, in his eyes.

That _hint of something else_ increases as he nods, slowly and unknowingly biting his lip, the colour in his umber irises almost completely lost under the expanding pools of black as his pupils engulf their alluring shade of brown.

The look he sends gives rise a different kind of pool inside of her. Deep and low, hot and unignorable as she attempts to subtly cross her legs to ease the growing, aching desire between them. Her booted toes accidentally grazing his shin in the process not helping matters for either of them. The unintended contact making his pants feel a size smaller as the heat in his groin almost threatens to leave a burn.

"You can thank me by wearing it-" he just about refrains from saying _tonight_ , still not wanting to set the pace too fast for her lest he scare her off, "the next time we do this."

She sits up higher then, leaning in as she readies herself to toy with him, her royal blue finger nail landing on the box when her gaze lands on him.

"So you want me to wear this expensive piece of _art_ …to this old joint?" she smirks, acting as if she thought he wanted to take her there again.

"Well, I mean you could…it would definitely spruce the place up a bit." he plays along, leaning in now too, "Or.."

"Or?"

"You could wear it…in a five-star restaurant..with a five-star dress, accompanied by a _more than_ five-star date."

He watches her throat bob when she swallows, letting him know he was getting somewhere.

"Yeah…you're not more than five stars." she chuckles as she widens her eyes at him, somehow having the laugh match his increasingly seductive tone.

" _But my date is."_

Harvey was finally pursuing her with the energy he had committed to the endless string of women he'd carelessly, and all too easily, reeled in over the years. Except this time it was with the combined determination he'd dedicated to all those women, devoted to just _one_ woman. The one he now knew it should have been directed towards for the last twelve years. So, quite frankly, if he has to spend another twelve years proving to her that she's the only one worth chasing, he will.

It put her right out of her comfort zone though, to say the least. In all the ways she'd subconsciously wanted him to put her out of it before. Without even realising that she did.

"Your date sounds too _awesome_ for some textbook, restaurant _meet and eat_." she teases, voice low and unapologetically harsh as she glimpses around her beloved diner with a humorous frown. "I mean, you're already not scoring any brownie points with your first choice."

"Ouchh." is all he can say when she has him in a corner, right where she wants him, sweating and fretting, no cool, calm or collection in sight and missing that all-too-cocky confidence that pumped through his veins. _Probably since birth,_ she reckons.

They're back ten years in the past now. Him flirting with her until he thinks he's cracked her before she bites back with a venomous blow, shrinking his uber-arrogant ego like no woman ever could. Only making him want her even more.

The quick-witted redhead lets out a chuckle then, relaxing back into her chair as she shakes her head at the situation. She breaths in as he watches her before deciding to collect her coat and bag, carefully stuffing the jewelry box inside. She twists her legs until her knees are pointed out of the booth and she's turning to eye him, her light-red waves cascading over her contrasting white sweater.

"Let me know when you come up with something better, Specter." Her suggestive brow almost speaks to him too as it jolts upwards with her devilish smile.

He doesn't want her to leave yet but she has thrown him off his game and he doesn't recognise the view. He's never been off it before. Looking in from the outside. Like a bystander watching his skillfully perfected strategies crumble to oblivion under Donna Paulsen's wicked tongue.

Dating her would be a challenge, he soon realises. One he's never been more ready to take. And not because he loves a challenge. But because of how ready she was for him to take it.

As Donna closes the door behind her, she lets out the breath that had been building pressure in her lungs for the last few minutes now. She doesn't know what to think. And decides not to think. If this was how the new chapter of their lives was going to start, then she was sure as hell going to have her fun writing it.

 _With him._

…

It's now early evening the following Saturday and Donna's buried head deep in all the tedious paperwork that comes with being COO of one of Manhattan's leading law firms. Not that she complained, ever. She had fought tooth and nail for this position and was going to go above and beyond, everyday, to prove to everybody that she earned it.

It was the _more_ she had demanded from him after all. But in hindsight, she couldn't help but wonder if it was the right more she should have asked him for. And if that would have saved them months of grief. Or if it would have just ruined them completely.

Just as her fatigued, and maybe slightly bored eyes are starting to blur the words on the pristine pages in front of her, she hears a light tap on the glass panel of her office. The very panel that made her feel like she was one of the zoo animals now too. Guarded behind glass while passers by could glance in as they pleased.

Her blank expression turns to one of pleasant surprise when she meets Rachel's sweet smile as she wheels a black stroller in front of her.

"What!?" Donna beams in shock, pushing herself out of her seat and dropping her trusty Bic pen onto her desk. "Well this is the best surprise visit I've ever had!"

Rachel extends her arms as Donna approaches, greeting her in a warm hug.

"I've been cooped up in the apartment for four days now since I got home…I needed to get out before cabin fever set in." she informs with a sigh. "Thought I'd swing by and bring Edith to see her godparents before we take her father home for the night."

Donna crouches down to peer in over the sleeping baby, extending her polished finger to gently caress her smooth, sallow-skinned cheeks, admiring her long, jet-black lashes as she sleeps soundly.

"Well you're not gonna see much with those big beautiful eyes of yours shut tight, are you little miss?" the redhead whispers to the baby, slightly annoyed that she wasn't awake so she could pick her up.

"Would it be cruel if I poked her?" she asks humorously, looking back up to Rachel with a mischievous smirk before straightening back up to be eye-level with her.

"Oh I'm sure she won't be asleep for much longer..she never is!" Rachel sighs tiredly, yet lovingly.

"You look exhausted, you sure you're up for a visit?" Donna quizzes in concern before recovering like the amazing girlfriend she is. "I mean you look _amazing!_ But you've gotta be tired?" she asks affectionately, her left arm finding the sleeve of Rachel's light grey cardigan.

"I'm fine, honestly. It'll do me good to get out of the house, and I've missed this place, and the people in it!" Rachel assures her, looking around and feeling at home in the building she hasn't worked at in over two months now.

"And you're not in any post-pregnancy pain or anything?" Donna inquires with concern, shaking her head as she gauges her friend's reaction.

"Pain? No. Discomfort? Yes." Rachel chuckles lightly, bringing her hand to her lower back.

"Here, come sit!" offers Donna as she steers the stroller towards her comfortable couch, facing Edith towards them before they both relax into the cream cushions.

"So," Rachel exhales as she props her elbow over the back of the couch and supports her head with her hand, "what have I missed between your last visit and now?"

The brunette detects the sheepish look in her friends eyes as she looks towards his office with a light smirk that she can't seem to extinguish. Or doesn't even want to.

Rachel glances over her shoulder, eyeing the wall dividing the two offices, furrowing her brows with a small grin as she looks back to her friend, lowering her chin and popping her eyes in question without needing to say a word.

"Okay so technically it wasn't after the last time I visited you in hospital. It was after the first time…that morning actually." she admits, feeling somewhat guilty that she hadn't told Rachel all week, seeing as she had just become a mother and had more than enough on her plate.

Rachel's jaw drops, shocked but delighted over what she thought she was finally hearing.

"You guys didn't!?" she whispers, inching in closer before raising her voice in excitement. "Oh my god it's about time! _That morning_ , huh? You two were eager.." she smirks, wiggling her dark brows at the puzzled redhead.

"What? No, no, noooo." Donna clarifies in a low tone, shutting her eyes and waving her hands between them to shake the thought from Rachel's mind. "Nothing like that.."

"Oh.." Rachel lets out, failing, or just unwilling to hide her disappointment. "Then what has you blushing like a love-struck teenager?" she chances, cheekily angling her head to the right as she awaits a response.

"I'm not bl-" Donna cuts herself off when she feels the warmth in her cheeks for the first time since her mind veered towards Harvey. Remembering she's not a liar, she decides to give up the act. "Okay, whatever.." she shuffles in her seat, peering outside the glass making sure no one was within ear shot before she leans in closer to Rachel who was dying with intrigue by now. She takes an encouraging breath, looking her friend in the eye before a brief pause.

"I think we're dating?" she admits, as if the fact shocked her just as much as it did Rachel.

The stunned brunette tampers down her excitement so she can pry even further. "You ' _think'?_ "

"Yeah," she exhales, "I mean..that morning he asked me on a date, super casually, but we both knew it wasn't just some friendly outing. There wasn't any tension ..not the bad kind anyway, and we just talked. And not about serious things, just all the unimportant things we used to talk about." she grins in remembrance, a sudden bashfulness about her then as she realises how much she was rambling.

"But?" Rachel quizzes, detecting there was one coming.

Donna sighs, relaxing her left shoulder into the couch.

"He asked me on another one. But I turned him down ..kind of."

"Kind of?"

"I _may_ be playing hard to get." she explains with feigned innocence as she briefly glances towards Edith. "And besides, I don't know how _friendly_ he wants to keep this."

"Okay," Rachel begins, "one thing I know for sure..is that nothing between you and Harvey is just friendly."

"That's my point, Rachel." she says firmly. "What if _dating_ is the wrong way to go about all of this?"

"Well you won't know unless you try." Rachel inhales, encouragingly trying to push her friend forward.

"Have you talked much since your last _date?_ " she asks after a short silence, still amazed and thrilled that they were having this conversation.

"In passing.. mostly business though, it's been a crazy busy week here." Donna replies, trying to make an excuse for not biting the bullet and asking him about their current _status_. "But no, we haven't discussed it. He hasn't asked me out again, even though I left that ball in his court, so I don't know.." she trails off in a defeated whisper, lightly throwing her hands in the air.

"You could ask him out, you know? It's 2018!" Rachel teases.

"Ha!" Donna scoffs. "I can barely ask him for the time these days, you think I'm gonna ask him on a date!?" she exaggerates as she laughs in disbelief.

Rachel just smirks back before her eyes start to wander upwards a moment later. Donna can all but see the light bulb blinking above her head.

"Uhh, I just remembered I have to go see Louis! He wants my advice on some case, says he needs my old 'paral- _eagle_ eye' for something."

"Oh..and you just remembered _now?_ " Donna challenges with a quirk of her brow, inwardly laughing at her friend's adorable yet atrocious acting abilities.

"Yeah," she sighs, coming to a stand as she taps her forehead, feigning annoyance at herself, "you wouldn't mind taking Edith for like fifteen minutes, would you?"

"Of course not." chuckles the redhead, sensing exactly where this was going.

"Great! You can take her to see Harvey, save me some time. It would be a huge help." she smirks all too innocently, well aware Donna would see right through her amateur performance.

"Mmhmm.." Donna hums deeply, watching the brunette scamper out of her office after saying goodbye to her sleeping daughter.

She lets out a deflated sigh, peering into the stroller from where she was seated.

"Looks like it's just me and you, kid."

She stands up next, her fingers gently landing over the baby's blanketed feet as her thumb caresses the soft cotton.

"What do you think I should do?"

The infant replies with an almost inaudible snore, forcing Donna to laugh at herself.

"Wow. I'm actually asking a baby for relationship advice. And a sleeping baby at that.." she mumbles, still directing her words to Edith. "Thanks for nothing, sister. I'll remember this when you're looking for boy advice some day," she heightens her brows then, "or girl advice…who knows."

Before she can scold herself for still talking to the baby, and effectively just talking to herself, his smooth, crisp voice slices through the air in her office like a frisbee, interrupting her thoughts as she lightly jumps with the fright.

"You talking to yourself?"

She looks over her shoulder, quickly recomposing herself as she wonders if he heard any of what she said.

"No.."

"Sure looked like it." he smirks, hands in his pockets, walking over to them both.

"Can't you see there's a third person here, Harvey?" she teases, tossing her head towards the stroller beneath her.

"Yes. A _sleeping_ third person. Who can't even speak yet."

"They make the best listeners." she defends with an unapologetic pout, before looking back to their godchild, smiling at her snoozing form.

He closes the gap then, stopping by her side to peer into the pram, the lines in his chiseled cheeks creasing with a doting grin as the baby's lips twitch into a sleeping smile.

"So, you got lumped with the first babysitting duties then?"

She silently smirks at his joking comment. "Rachel's just gone to see Louis about some work matter that I'm pretty sure was fabricated."

"Fabricated?" he frowns in question.

"Doesn't matter." She waves her hand between them as she shakes her head lightly. "What brings you in here?"

"Besides my god-family, you mean?"

His smile is teasing, but his eyes are soft. When his question is only met with widened eyes and a sharp inhale, he shuffles on the spot, turning from Edith so he was facing Donna, just a foot apart as his left hand rests on the stroller, subconsciously needing the support before he swallows down the nerves, his face remaining calm and confident still.

"I wanted to let you know that I've been thinking about something, _someone_ , all week, _and now I know_ ,"

"Know what?" she laughs, eyes darting from his lips to his pupils as her heart involuntarily flutters.

"Where I'm gonna take you on our next date."

 _Okay,_ she thinks. _This isn't a game anymore. He's deadly serious._ Thankfully the inner workings of her brain reflect poorly on her face as she holds onto her calm demeanor.

"And where would that be?"

There's a definite intrigue behind her forced nonchalance that helps boost his confidence.

"And why would I tell you that?" She sends him a bemused frown before he continues. "Last time I told you, you shot it down. Brutally."

Donna presses her lips together then, trying not to laugh at the memory; his smug face crumbling to one of self-doubt under her toyful tongue.

"And besides, it's a surprise."

"A surprise?"

"Yes." he says firmly, determined not to let her force an answer out of him. "So, are you coming or not?" He makes sure that his expression shows just how much he wanted her answer to be yes, head cocking to the right as he swallows back in wait of her response with a light, adorable smile.

"I'll have to ask my trusted confidante here for advice first," she sighs humorously, nodding down towards the oblivious tiny human beneath them, "but I'm sure she won't object."

"I hope not." he nods solemnly before engaging in a shared grin, lowering his gaze toward Edith. "I mean, I'm pretty sure she likes me. So I think she'll approve."

"And what details would she need to know, you know.. if _she_ were to approve of this .. _date_."

"Tomorrow. 2 0'clock." he nods. "I'll pick you up."

"Tomorrow?" She isn't sure whether the late notice should annoy or excite her.

"Have you got other plans?"

"No bu-"

"Perfect." Harvey nods at her, nostrils flaring along with his brazen snicker before he gives Edith one last doting glance and swiftly turns to make his way back to his office.

"And what should I wear?" she calls out, demanding his attention again as he twists back around inside the doorway. "Seeing as you won't tell me where you're taking me."

"Whatever you want." he smiles before thinking on it, his fingers tapping against the glass frame. "Maybe dress for the weather, though."

 _Outdoors_ , she thinks as he disappears. Where would Harvey Specter be taking her on a date.. in the middle of the afternoon. On a Sunday. _Outdoors?_

Donna looks to Edith once more, the resting newborn still oblivious to everything other than her dreams.

"What am I getting myself in for?" she sighs down at her before shaking her head, biting her bottom lip as she fails to simmer down the smirk stretching from cheek to cheek.

For once, she didn't know everything.

And for once, she didn't care.

Because she knew enough.

.

.

.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading. Would love to hear your thoughts :) x**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi guys :)**

 **Sorry to keep you waiting on a Darvey date but I wanted to finish some of the next chapter before I published this one, just to make sure I was happy with the progression.**

 **Thanks so much for the feedback and everything so far, this fandom is truly the best.** **(Ali and Michelle, I will never not be reminded of your ridiculously hilarious reactions whenever I think of this chapter)**

 **Hope you enjoy this instalment. Which is 95% fluff. The remaining 5% may or may not be in the form of an angsty ending..** **But j** **ust two more weeks until our faves are back killing us on-screen, rather than just in fic-land!**

* * *

 _Shakespeare in Love_

There's a whole fifteen minutes to spare until 2 o'clock and Harvey's already waiting outside her apartment building. He was never this early for a woman before and he didn't know what to do with himself during the extra time.

He could go up early. Knock on her door and escort her down. But if she wasn't ready yet that wouldn't bode to well, he thinks. So instead, he remains standing out on the pavement, patiently waiting for her to emerge from the building. Too anxious to even lean against Ray's car this time.

It took him awhile to figure out why he was much more nervous for this date. But when he did he realised that he hadn't had all night to think about the last one. He simply asked her, she accepted, and they went.

But now he has had an entire 24 hours to second guess himself. And the location he has picked. Inspired by both her interests, _and_ her seemingly high standards made clear by last weeks diner date.

 **.**

 _Ms. High Standards_ had spent the entire morning over thinking what to wear. All she got was ' _dress for the weather'. S_ o when she opened her creamy curtains that morning, she had two choices; a casual sundress, or light jeans and a summer blouse.

She couldn't remember the last time she had the chance to be so dressed down for a date. And it made her nervous, not knowing how exactly to dress herself. Something she has always been so in tune with. Her style had molded into her personality over the years and always helped give her the added confidence to be _Donna_.

However, the unknowingness also excited her. Made her feel young again. The spontaneity of these dates, _their_ dates, and their locations, setting her heart and mind racing against one another.

 **.**

He straightens up as he hears the door creak open. Pulling his attention from the red bricks he was mindlessly counting towards red hair instead. Silky smooth and falling in effortless honey-warm waves over her shoulders. Both shoulders which were noticeably bare and perfectly sprinkled in those magnificent flecks of gold he could still make out from some twelve feet away.

As she approaches, he spots the light hue of baby blue in her sundress which was falling mid-shin. But what catches his attention more is the way the fabric clings to her ribs just before it juts out above her hips, flowing daintily in the warm breeze. And how its low v-line extends right between the valley of her breasts. Something the gentleman in him doesn't let his line of sight drift towards. At least not when she's looking anyway.

She, on the _same_ hand, isn't quite sure if witnessing him dressed down will ever not disturb the muscles in her lower abdomen. She's probably seen him out of a suit less than a dozen times in their dozen years. And she always forgets how much she loves it until the next time she gets to see him in a dark shirt, one button teasingly undone, with a black suit pants and a matching belt, topped off with a casual jacket to throw over the look. Just like the look she was gawking at now.

"Donna." he greets while a smug smirk engulfs his features.

"Harvey." she mirrors, lowering her chin at him while her eyebrow quirks.

He lets his eyes rake down her entire form then. Knowing she's looking right at him as she pulls to a stop less than two feet away. Her flat sandals making her about four inches smaller than her usual heels allow. Having him bite his inner lip in an effort not to smile at how adorable he finds it.

His eyes are trained on hers soon again, once he's finished admiring her.

"I'd say that you look beautiful," He lets his tone sound casual enough while his eyes do all the real talking, forcing her breathing to stall for just a second, "but that would be like announcing that the sky is blue." he finishes, glancing up into the cloudless, beaming blue above them as she subconsciously does the same, before looking back at him first.

She inhales sharply, still fighting the urge to glance behind her. As if it was meant for someone else. Again. Even though she knows it wasn't. He was looking right at her when he said it. Undoubtedly. And besides, it was just the two of them.

Slowly cocking her head to the right when his eyes find hers again, smirking along with his lips now as the corners begin to wrinkle, she swallows down the swarm of butterflies uncontrollably fluttering against the lining of her stomach.

"What.. no flowers today?" she quips, determined to look unscathed as she lightly pops her eyes and glances at his empty, bouquet-less hands.

"Oh trust me," he smiles back, "where we're going, you won't need them."

"Oh my god, Harvey," she whispers, placing her palm over her heart, feigning amazement as she pouts in exaggerated awe, "you're taking me to a florists on our first date? How romantic."

He frowns at her unnerving ability to both shrug off his sweet talk and then mock him with it.

"First of all.. No, I'm not taking you to a _florists.._ but I might if you don't stop enjoying teasing me so much."

She drops her right hip, deciding to let her humorous walls of self-protection down and let him in a bit more.

"And second?" she quizzes, her left hand rising to fiddle with the skinny shoulder strap of her dress.

"This isn't our first date."

"Ohh, so you _are_ counting the diner then.." she playfully teases once again. Soon realising that some habits die hard, especially twelve year old ones.

"Yes, I am," he nods confidently, lowering his chin at her now, "and all the ones before it."

She drops her bottom lip a fraction and furrows her brows. Her face questioning him before her voice has the chance to.

"Del Posto, Nougatine, shopping trips, that shitty Thai place you love… the list is endless, Donna."

The fiery redhead decides to bite her tongue. Refraining from telling him that they were purely platonic. Not wanting to rain on his parade any further. And also, in hindsight, she's not sure how strictly friendly all those dates really were anymore.

The rekindling pair engage in a grin-filled staring contest before Donna caves, shaking her head as her tongue plays with the roof of her mouth.

Harvey opens her door then, standing behind it as she steps in front.

"Oh and by the way,"

Her left hand is on the door frame before she turns back to him, watching as he leans in until his lips are almost, just almost, grazing her ear.

"The sky is looking _..very,_ blue today." he breaths out, hot and heavy, sending a fork of lightning down her spine as he pulls back.

Neither of them look toward the actual sky this time.

"As always." he finishes, his tone returning to normal now.

He knows he's got to her when her chest rises and her eyes remain fixed on him but no words come out. Nor does it look like she's even tempted to speak a reply. Just the corners of her rosy lips cracking upwards into the beginnings of a smile. One he wouldn't see fully as she dives into the car and he closes her in. Only then letting her cheeks give rise to a true grin. Before he slides in on his side and gives Ray the go-ahead nod.

 **…**

The Lexus pulls to a stop on some street on the West Side of Central Park and Harvey eagerly hops out on his side to let Donna out on hers. Without even thinking about it, he extends his right hand to help her out of the car.

"Ever the gentleman." she smirks after taking his hand.

"I'd say ever the lady, but I've seen you drunk so.." He bites his lip, eager to get the ball rolling on their witty back-and-forth.

"Are you trying to sabotage your own date, Mr. Specter?"

"Of course not." he defends before his faux frown is engulfed by the Cheshire Cat.

He slams the car door shut behind them, gives Ray the thankful tap on the glass and gestures her onto the pavement. His right hand hovering over her lower back until they're both walking towards the park entrance.

"Ooh, are we going ice-skating?" she teases, inwardly laughing at the image of him falling around on the ice like a baby deer in skates.

Harvey tosses his head towards her, giving her his signature glare as he bunches his lips together. His go-to unimpressed look.

"Noo," he mumbles before his hands find his pants pockets as they enter the park, "it's not even open this time of year anyway.."

"Oh so that's the only reason Harvey Specter wouldn't go ice-skating then? Because it's closed?"

"You're impossible." he frowns, shaking his head before he has to look back at her toothy grin and smile regardless.

She may be impossible. But at least she was _his_ impossible. Again.

"So," she starts, looking around the expansive city green as they make their way through, "are you finally gonna tell me where you're taking me?"

"Guess." he challenges.

"Harvey," the redhead chuckles, "there's about a million different places to see in here, you really expect me to guess which one?"

"I mean.. _you are Donna_ , as you so frequently point out to everyone, any chance you get," he menacingly teases, deciding to give as good as he gets now, "so you should ' _know'_ , right?"

She narrows her at eyes at him, morphing them from doe-like to cat-like in two seconds flat.

"Okay.." Donna begins as she looks around, following the direction he was leading them in, "the museum?" she asks, her feigned excitement telling him she was fearing a yes.

Thankfully, his bemused frown responds with an obvious no.

"The zoo?" she queries half-jokingly, looking up at him as he maintains a steady pace, facing ahead.

"Do you know how far we are from the zoo?"

"We have legs.."

The redhead lets out a huff and a tut, in such perfect harmony that he finds himself laughing through his nose as he glances to his feet.

"Fine. The Boathouse?"

"Nope." he replies, exaggerating the 'p', his enjoyment over her ignorance beginning to annoy her ever so slightly.

"Well, where then?"

"You need to let go of your unhealthy relationship with control, Donna," He carefully examines her next, before he pulls to a stop, causing her to mimic his actions, "he's not good for you."

"Yeah, well if I let go of everyone who wasn't good for me then I wouldn't be standing right here with you, would I?"

Her widened eyes and playful smile diminish once she double-takes his reaction. His face more somber than she's seen in weeks.

"I was just kidding," she breaths out, tempted to reach out for his arm.

It was just a painful reminder for them both that they still had so much to discuss. The serious stuff. That they were blanketing over with banter, wit and now, dates.

He fills his lungs before forcing a sweet smile, for her.

"You're never gonna guess it you know.."

"Why's that?"

"Because." He fixes his eyes on her before continuing. "You're not thinking of _you._ "

"What?" she whispers in amusement, and slight bewilderment.

"Where I would take _you._ " he clarifies, lowering his head at her as he leans in slightly.

She mirrors his smile before her eyes trail off to her left in wonder. Until they're back on him a second later.

"Shakespeare Garden." she whispers, not needing to pose it as a question anymore, especially as she remembers his comment about flowers from earlier.

"Well done _Ms. Control Freak._ Now let's get a move on." He widens his grin at her then before continuing on their walk.

Donna watches him stroll onwards. Letting him get a few steps ahead so she can admire him until he detects her presence -or lack there of- and stops, turning back to face her and her smiling form.

She bites her bottom lip as his own smile broadens, just staring at her. His left eye squinting more than the right in the bright sunshine, which highlights her deep, golden glow as her wavy strands blow lightly in the warm breeze.

His elbow is jutting out next as he extends his arm, resting that hand under his chest. She fills in the five feet between them then and partners her arm with his until they link. Neither missing how good it felt. The physical feeling, yes. But more so the feeling of being out in public like this, _together._

 _ **.**_

"Here's your bouquet." he proudly states a couple of minutes later when they stop outside the garden. Blossoming with primrose, rue, cowslip and dozens of other plants found in the famous playwright's literature.

The redhead scans the flora in front of them, technicolour hues of green, purple, red and pink to name but a few.

"Best one yet." she nods, staring up the pathway ahead before giving him a full few of her contented smile.

"Shall we, Lady Paulsen?" he smiles, waving out his right hand in front of them.

"You know.. I'm starting to think you might be a Shakespeare fan after all." she toys with a questioning quirk of her left brow.

"Nope," he admits rather bluntly, before sending her a slow, reaffirming nod, "still just a Donna fan."

 **.**

The pair leisurely make their way through the garden. Their arms still linked as their bodies speak with a more electrically charged energy than their voices would allow for.

They stroll down various intimately winding paths. Talking about everything and nothing in particular, all at once. Making each other laugh until their ribs and cheeks hurt, equally.

"Next time you catch Louis talking to Edie about the most baby-friendly types of cats, I want it recorded!" he frowns with a contradicting smirk as their communal laughter slowly subsides. Both shaking their heads at their _uniquely_ -natured friend.

"Noted." she smirks. "Although I hope there isn't a next time."

She unlinks their arms when they come to the foot of no more than twenty stone-built steps. As she begins the small hike, she feels his left palm on her middle spine. She stops a couple of steps in and turns to him with a sweet grin.

"It's not that steep. I won't fall, you know?"

"I know." he defends lightly, gesturing for her to keep moving with his free hand while his left remains securely on her back as he escorts her up the steps.

They reach the top of the stairway and find some wooden benching to rest on for awhile. Half his arm lingers above her shoulder as he props it on the back of the seat, looking around the garden from above while he takes in the higher view. Before he takes in an even better view.

He smirks to himself watching her relax into the bench. Her hair ticking his arm in the process. He studies her as she soaks up the rays shining down on just the two of them, so it felt. The garden was moderately busy, with dispersed groups of people walking about below them. But up there, they were the only two people in the world.

She peacefully closes her eyes. Inhaling the scent of whatever plant the light breeze was sending her way as she serenely smiles. Her legs outstretched and crossed at the ankles while the sun radiates itself onto her ivory flesh.

 _Like a lioness in her prime,_ he thinks.

"Have I got something on my face?" she mutters, without even opening her lashes.

He shuffles somewhat awkwardly then, like some peeping Tom caught in the act.

"No," he laughs to himself, "just that smart-ass mouth of yours."

She turns her head to face him, narrowing her eyes in light warning, but still too relaxed to even bite back.

"You hungry?"

"Well, we have been walking around for almost an hour now and I haven't eaten since breakfast, so yeah." she nods.

"Come on," he mumbles, rising to his feet before giving her a hand up.

His thumb caresses her palm for just a moment too long. Forcing her to clear her throat and subtly pulls hers away.

"Where to?" she asks in a higher pitch tone, desperately trying to ignore the burgeoning pool of desire settling deep in her groin at the gentle, yet powerful, few strokes of his thumb.

"Wanna find a café nearby?" he suggests, looking to his watch.

She frowns gently, pulling her head back a fraction to take him in fully.

"Somewhere better to be?"

"No." he assures her. "But you do."

"What?"

"Well, we both do." he smirks, beginning their trek back down the steps so she'll start to follow.

"I'm not sure how much I like this mysterious side to you.." she mumbles, mostly to herself as she begins to descend a step behind him, donning a faux frown to hide her excitement.

 **.**

After they spend another hour talking and eating, Harvey leads them back the way they came until they're outside the garden once again.

"Okay mister, you can't play the same card twice _..in one date._ " she scoffs humorously.

"Wow. I'm really enjoying the fountain of knowledge that is _the_ Donna Paulsen, _not_ knowing everything for a change."

"Asshole." she tuts, before bringing her hands to her bare forearms, rubbing them for warmth in the early evening chill.

"This is gonna be incredibly cliché of me.." he mutters, quickly wriggling out of his jacket, "but here, put this on."

Before she can even partake in the just-as-cliché polite protesting, he has the material draped around her naked shoulders.

She feels the warmth from his body emanating off of the fabric and his alluring cologne drifting into her senses, and probably beginning to seep into her skin.

His hands are still holding its lapels, shutting the clothing tight across her chest as he becomes lost in her magnetic, hazel-green stare, her eyes less than a foot from his own now.

This should have been the perfect time to kiss her. But as her hands drift up under the jacket to catch it herself, and she whispers a weak "I got it", he knows now is not the time at all. He gives her an even weaker smile as his arms fall back to his sides.

They walk back through the winding pathways. The somewhat darkening sky seemingly matching the darkening mood.

She chances a few glances at his face which seemed to be growing more somber by the second. She sighs at herself, watching the thoughts roll around in his head knowing how confused or perhaps even frustrated he must be feeling.

He could sense her glances, not wanting to return them lest she notice his bad attempt at a happy poker face and call him out on it. All he wanted was to be near her, to be able to show her just how much he wants her, physically. But they needed to have a serious conversation first and the fact that she recoiled at his more affectionate touches didn't give him much hope at their chance of that any time soon.

She thought she was ready. And in many ways she is. More than ready for the physical side of their relationship. But she knows how he much wants to talk about things first. So when they share a physically intimate moment, it's just a painful reminder for her that they're that much closer to rehashing all the heart-aching memories. Post-kiss.

 _I'm not the guy you met in that bar anymore, Donna._

 _Not for you._

 _Not after tonight._

She swallows down the bitter taste of the vivid memory and walks in silence with him for a few more moments. The only sound now being their footsteps against the gravel below.

She feels a wave of relief after spotting a queue of theatre-goers in the distance lining up outside The Delacorte Theatre for that night's Shakespeare in the Park. Thankfully giving her the opportunity to talk about something unrelated to them.

"Oh, I haven't been to one of those in years." she smiles reminiscently, referring to the outdoor event as she nods towards the building in the distance. Her need to fill the silence keeping her clueless as to where he was taking her next.

"Well today's your lucky day." he beams softly, pressing his lips together before she stops in her tracks and lightly pulls on his arm for him to do the same.

"Harvey," Donna says sweetly, thinking she was going to have to be the bearer of bad news, "you've gotta line up here all day for tickets, they'll be all gone by now." she warmly informs, her thumb subconsciously caressing his bicep now, overcome with his thoughtfulness. "It doesn't matter though, we can go somewhere else, it's the company that counts, right?" she finishes, cocking her head at him with an enthusiastic smirk.

Harvey turns so that his body is facing her now too, watching as she frowns in puzzlement when she's met with an excited grin.

She has to swallow back her budding arousal when he steps in dangerously close. His breath warming her nose in the growing chill. She feels his hand rummaging against her waist then. Giving rise to goosebumps all over her body, putting the chilly breeze to shame.

He notices her clutch onto the lapels of her borrowed jacket even tighter. And how she's staring at his lips before he catches her and she looks away, blinking almost uncontrollably. He inwardly smiles before he pulls out two small crimson-coloured pieces of paper and dons a smug smirk.

"You mean these tickets?"

She inhales a steady breath then, gathering herself before she rolls her eyes and cracks a smile.

"How the hell did I not see that coming?"

"You're off your game, Paulsen." he nods before sliding the tickets into his pants pocket.

' _Cause you're putting me off my game,_ she thinks to herself before they both start walking in unison once more. The brief silence not feeling so heavy this time.

"Aren't you gonna ask what's playing?" he quizzes a moment or two later.

"Doesn't matter," she chuckles, "because I love them all." She chances giving him a light elbow jab as they walk, still trying to make up for their moment beforehand.

"You read the tickets didn't you?"

Her mouth is left slightly agape and she stalls for a second before giving up and relaxing her shoulders with raised brows.

"I didn't _not_ read them.."

His teeth part his lips and the corners of his eyes crease with a hearty grin, causing her own heart to flutter as she takes him in. Her reaction immediately reflecting his own before they start walking again.

"Who is this Othello guy, anyway?" he murmurs, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh, just another man who self-destructs because of his unwillingness to see the truth."

She internally cringes when she realises what she just said. And how much she didn't mean for it to relate to him, or them, at all.

"I.." she stutters, "another _Shakespeare_ man." she clarifies softly, searching for any hint of offense on his face.

Harvey just laughs off her worry, sending her a charming smile.

"I hear his plays are full of them."

"By _them_ do you mean foolish men?" she chances.

"Yes." he snickers, before his smile softens out. "And sorry ones."

Her heart pinches at his somber tone. Knowing they were veering off fictional topic and into the real world. _Their_ real world.

"Well it's a good thing I have all the great men in my _real_ life then," she says lightly, hoping to deflect from whatever apology he was trying to get out, "to make up for the crappy ones in my plays."

He sees what she's trying to do and decides to let his need to drag up the past fizzle out. For her. For now.

They engage in a knowing stare, before he sends her a warm nod and begins walking toward the theatre.

As she watches him take a step forward, something stirs inside of her, unsettling all of her emotions, just leaving her with the desire to show him how much he meant to her. She secures both lapels of her borrowed jacket with her left hand, letting her right one roam free to where she wanted it to go in that very moment.

He feels her fingers tentatively glide over his inner palm until they're safely settled in between his own digits. She gives a tight squeeze before she lets her thumb caress his skin. Just as he did an hour beforehand. Only this time there was no pulling away.

Suddenly feeling lighter than air, he returns her tight grip, thankful of the contact to anchor him down lest he actually begin to float away.

 ** _…_**

Harvey wouldn't be able to explain what's happening in the play so far, or what the set design or even the characters look like. Because that's not what was holding his attention.

But he knows exactly how much of the lines she has recited to herself from their front row seats -a good ninety six percent of them- and how many times she has leaned over to fill him in on the plot throughout the play -eleven. Going into more detail for him during the breaks between acts. While he smiles and nods, and acts interested. Even asks plot questions he doesn't really care to know, just so he can listen to her talking about something she was so passionate about. Her happiness lighting a spark in him that he finds utterly contagious.

It isn't until near the end of Act III that he looks at her and notices a longing in her gaze as she watches on more solemnly now.

It hits him straight away, and he feels the forceful impact of the sudden realisation deep in his gut.

 _This. Is what she was missing._

He inhales lightly, his line of sight switching from her side profile, to the stage, and back to her as he carefully observes the redhead.

"You should be up there, you know?" he murmurs a bit too lightly.

"What?" she whispers having missed what he said, leaning her head to the left without taking her eyes off the performance in front of her.

"On stage. Performing. It's where you belong." he smiles softly, raising his voice slightly as he nods toward the chaotic scene unfolding before them.

She looks to him then, her brows furrowing at him in the dim light as a confused smirk carves out her face.

"It's a bit late for a complete career change, Harvey." she chuckles, looking to the stage again, sinking back into her chair, as if somewhat reluctant to talk about it.

"It's never too late."

He catches her eye again. She takes in his somber gaze. So much subtext oozing from his stare. As if he was saying ' _look at us',_ to backup his statement.

She lets out the breath she was holding before refocusing her attention on the entertainment once more, nodding towards the stage with a shy smile.

"You're missing the best part."

 **.**

The pair make their way out of the theatre after the show ends that evening. Walking side-by-side back through the garden as she chats in his ear about the more hidden themes of the play. Until she notices him trying to tamper down a grin.

"And I'm boring you to death.."

Harvey simply sends her a questionable, yet light-hearted glare. One he hopes reassures her that she could never bore him.

"I meant what I said before, you know?" he informs her as they stroll back through the blackened park, almost fully relying on the its street lamps for light now.

"What? About soliloquies being awkward to watch?" she teases, knowing full well what he was really referring to.

"No..well yes, still that too."

Harvey smiles, scratching the back of his head as she quietly giggles over his polar-opposite perception of her beloved Shakespearean world.

"But mostly about you..getting back into acting."

"Harvey.." she whispers gently, lightly shaking her head as if he's just suggested she join the space program or something.

"I mean it, Donna."

He firmly pulls to a stop so she'll follow suit, which she does, once she realises he's no longer walking.

"It's what you love doing. It's your passion."

All she can do is smile at his persistence. And make excuses. "I already love the job I have. And besides, I wouldn't have the time to-"

"We can make time."

"' _We'?_ " She almost sounds amused at the way he said it, throwing him off a bit.

"Yes, _we_ …the firm." he clarifies, neither of them buying it.

"Harv-"

"Which was supposed to only ever be a pit-stop for you, Donna. But I let you get comfortable there. Year after year. Because I didn't wanna lose you. But I should have pushed you."

Once she hears the guilt and shame ingrained in his tone, she immediately finds herself needing to set him straight, moving in to half-fill the three feet gap between them.

"Harvey." she says, clearly and firmly, her voice demanding he let her finish this time.

He looks back to her then, silenced by her eyes now too.

"I was, and still am, a grown woman. The only one that should have pushed me was myself." she smiles reassuringly. "I stayed because I fell in love with the job. And it offered me security. Something an acting career could never have guaranteed me."

He sighs at her statement before seeing she has more to add.

"And I stayed because of the incredible family I made there. I never wanted to leave. _I don't_ , want to leave."

They share yet another knowing stare just awhile longer, before she opens her mouth again, her tone even sweeter than her smile now.

"And I think.. that sometimes the pit-stops turn out to be better than the original destination anyway."

Harvey gauges her face. All of it. Especially her eyes. Trying to find the slightest hint of a facade that she might construct for his benefit, like she's done countless times in the past. But he doesn't find a damn thing. She looks genuinely happy.

Donna takes in a deep breath then, cocking her head as she looks at him with her ' _stop beating yourself up'_ eyes and an ' _I'm okay'_ smile.

She turns to walk soon afterwards. Leaving him to watch her for a couple of seconds before he catches up with her, a complacent smirk spreading across his face now.

"So.. you're saying Specter Litt is better than Broadway ..or Hollywood, even?" he challenges playfully.

"No.." Donna laughs, dragging out the word before looking up at him to her left. "I'm saying my family there are." Her eyes drift elsewhere before they're back examining him a second later. "You are."

He's entranced by her stare, her words, her voice, and her honesty all at once. Only finding himself able to speak again once she looks back to the footpath ahead as both their feet click against the concrete.

"Well…" he begins in that mischievous tone she knows all too well, "as the _family's_ managing partner, I'm now making it mandatory for our COO to take time-off to partake in at least one play per year, from now on."

"Mandatory, huh?" she grins up at him.

"Yep. Unless you wanna get fired." He sends her a cheeky glance then, nostrils flaring with his own amusement.

"Well, I suppose I wouldn't want that." she adds, fiddling with the sleeve of his jacket.

There's a brief silence before he's off again.

"But it's for my own sake, really."

"Oh yeah? And how is that?" the intrigued redhead inquires, knowing she was all-too-easily taking his bait.

"Because." He stops in his tracks again, causing her to turn to face him. "I haven't seen my favourite actress perform in _years."_

Donna cocks her head at him. Her cheeks rising despite her attempts. She's not quite sure what she wants to say back. They've never had a conversation like this before. As if they were both avoiding it, neither wanting to talk about her other options. So she just remains silent. Adjusting to this side of him. Absorbing this post-renaissance Harvey.

"It's been too damn long, Donna." He's completely serious now, hoping she'll agree with him.

The redhead finds herself nodding then, his persistence finally breaking through to her.

"Okay, deal."

"At least once a year?" His eyes are trained on hers, not letting her away with any form of a vague response.

"Yes!" she chuckles as all of her teeth poke out behind her burgeoning grin, before her vision is drawn to his right hand now confidently extended between them.

"You gotta shake on it, or it doesn't count." he smirks, as if he wasn't just looking for an excuse for some more physical contact between them.

She bites her bottom lip as she meets his gaze again. She pulls her hand out of the warm pocket of his jacket that she still had on. Only now she was wearing it properly instead of just draping it over her shoulders. For extra warmth. So she told herself, at least.

Their hands are locked, warmly and tightly, as they solidify the verbal agreement. Both almost forgetting what they were even shaking on when the gesture slows and their palms remain cemented together, his thumb pressing into her skin with a gentle kind of pressure.

She finally looks like she wants him to pull her in. Kiss her right then and there, and get things progressing on the physical side of their relationship once and for all. But he can't until he knows that he has fixed the emotional side. The side he recently blames himself for damaging for years now.

He clears his throat then, dropping his hand back below his waist before the loss of contact in the crisp air cools it down too quickly and he has to bury it in his pants pocket. He nods towards the food-cart about twenty yards away, realising it was probably time to take her home, but he just wasn't ready to see her leave yet.

"Wanna get a hot dog?"

She's subconsciously bunching her right fist, her thumb running over her fingers after his touch left them almost tingling.

No. Definitely tingling.

"You're buying."

"Fine," he jokes, "good thing I've been saving my pocket money all week for this date."

"You have?" she gasps in mock shock as they pick up a gradual walking pace again.

"No." Donna pretends to look disheartened at the fact before he continues. "I've been saving for _much_ longer than that."

He was becoming far too cool and confident at implying things. Like he was when they first met, so she thinks to herself as she smirks at him. Still finding it surreal that not only are they dating, but also talking about the fact that they're dating. _To each other._

"Good," she nods popping her eyes at him, "because I'm expensive."

"Worth every penny." he nods with a bold grin.

 **…**

It was taking her longer than usual to fit her key inside the lock of no. 206. And as much as she would like to deny why, she knew exactly the reason her hand was suddenly feeling fidgety. Because he's standing a respectable three feet behind her, waiting to say a final goodbye for the night and all she wants to do his drag him inside by the collar while her lips find his and his hands find her body.

But she can't make the first move. Again.

She finally twists the key then, before she turns to him. He would normally be gone by now, perhaps would never have even walked her up to her door. She's a grown woman after all. But no matter how much he tries to shake it, he can't fight the ever-growing need to talk about things with her. So he decides to talk now. Because looking at her, and not being able to have her was driving him crazy. _And horny._

"Well, this is me…" she mutters somewhat nervously, throwing her thumb towards the door they knew all too well by now. Each time they were on either side of it, together, holding a meaningful memory for them both.

"Donna-"

"But of course you already know that.." she mumbles, rolling her eyes at herself, internally screaming ' _shut up, Donna!'_

"Donn-" he tries again, but gets cut off. Again.

"Oh! Of course!" He watches her wriggle out of his jacket then, suddenly remembering she was wearing it. As if she thought he was just standing around because he wanted it back. "I almost forgot I still had it on." She holds it out between them with a chuckle.

He somewhat cautiously steps forward. As if not trusting himself to get this close when her bedroom was just a few feet away. His right hand outstretches then too but none of them move. She doesn't let go either. Both of them sharing a firm custody-grip of the material between them.

His body soon disobeys his mind as he allows himself to be pulled in by the magnetising force that always seemed to materialise between them during moments alone together.

His thumb is grazing hers as they both inch towards one another. The only thing between them now being the jacket, pressing up against them both as they tentatively, and silently, trim down the distance they shared.

His mind is telling him to open his mouth. To speak. To tell her everything he has failed to tell her in the past. It's the least she deserves. But his logic seems hindered by her alluring and expanding pupils, darting back and forth between his eyes and his lips.

All he hears is her quiet, but heavy breathing, warming the air between them while her breath mingles with his own. Their faces now less than a foot apart as he gazes down at her fluttering lashes. Her pupils enlarged tenfold by now and rendering him speechless.

 _How can he not kiss her?_

That's all he asks himself when he knows he probably shouldn't yet. But then his free hand runs up her bare arm, without his consent. Yet, once he's clued in, he still doesn't stop its movements.

She shivers with a familiar arousal as his fingertips trace her freckled skin, leaving rising goosebumps in their wake. She's frozen now. Can't even move her hand from his jacket. Not with his darkening gaze hypnotising her. Like predator and prey. Except this prey wants to be caught. And devoured.

As the seconds that feel like minutes pass, his left hand has reached the side of her neck. His fingers planted into her skin under her silky streams of flaming red. His thumb lightly finding rest over her ear.

All that reminds her that she isn't dreaming is her beating pulse and heavy breath as his nose kisses hers. She looks up at him then, swallowing once before closing her eyes and feeling his lips graze her own. Both of their mouths lightly agape. She's eager to deepen it, to feel the full force of their lips colliding like they did all those months ago. Too many months ago. But she's letting him do all the initiating this time.

Thankfully, he follows through on the initiating two seconds later when his lips capture hers in a heartbeat. His hand pulling her closer as his other abandons his grip on the jacket and searches for her flesh, albeit clothed.

She sighs with pleasure when his fingers wander down her spine. Pulling her body flush against his after she carelessly discards of the offending material between them.

She's all his then, and her hands glide up his chest while his own press into her neck and lower back, rolling her into his aching crotch.

Her limbs are around his neck soon. One hand on his nape. The other messing up his short strands as her fingers rake his scalp.

"Donn-" he moans into her widened mouth, feeling her teeth ever so lightly tug at his bottom lip, wishing she would nip harder and drag him through that door and have her wicked way with him. Again. Yet also afraid to start things this way when he knows they still have to close the last painful chapter of their lives.

But his sensible thoughts are soon scattering once again, dissipating under the whine she elicits which has him pressing her up against the nearest wall. Tasting her kisses with his tongue next before hers decides to join in on the action.

Each of their nerves and senses are highly stimulated now. Both panting and gasping as their groins simultaneously begin to ache under the pooling pressure within. All they can hear is hot and heavy breathing and the sounds of their lips smacking together and breaking apart on repeat. And all they can focus on is the act itself.

It's when she pushes him backwards, with a fiery look in her eye as she pulls them towards her door, that his voice of reason annoyingly creeps back in.

 _She's not ready. Which means they're not ready._

Not until _both_ of them are prepared to talk about the last few months of their lives. Ex-therapists included.

It's the hardest thing he's ever had to do. Especially when he's finally the one who is emotionally available. But nevertheless, he grudgingly pulls back from her heated lips, now red-raw and deliciously plumped. His distended pupils already offering her an apology. One she takes awhile longer than usual to read as the sexual arousal still clouds her vision.

He closes his eyes in defeat next, resting his forehead on hers. His hand leaves her neck, slowly drifting down her body until both of them are rested on either side of her waist. He feels her grip around him loosen then, almost killing him. But her hands still remain hovering over his body as they glide down his chest.

Her eyes are filled with a familiar fear now. Thinking he has regrets about what just happened. Confused, seeing as he's been so adamantly keen in pursuing her as of late.

"Donna.." he whispers gently, still regaining his normal breath, "we can't, not like this."

"Like what?" she pants out in bewilderment.

"We still need to talk." His voice is croakier, his lips still numb from hers.

"You wanna talk? Now?" she scoffs dryly, her chest still rising against his as her voice takes on a couple extra octaves.

"I've wanted to talk for months," he murmurs, "but you weren't ready."

She knits her brows in bemusement and uses her palms on his chest to gently push herself away from him by about a foot, while his hands drop back to his sides.

"Don-"

"Was this not enough to show you that I'm ready, Harvey?" she whispers hoarsely, waving her finger between them, suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable under his magnetic stare.

"Emotionally, Donna." He reiterates, continuing once she elicits an eye-roll, clearly unimpressed at his hypocrisy. " _I hurt you._ And you won't let me apologise for it. You won't let me talk about it." He flaps his hands at his sides now, becoming somewhat frustrated at the fact yet still remaining calm. "So we can finally move the hell on from it and start something. Because I'll be damned if we do it the other way around and you end up regretting it, and then I lose you for good!"

She finds herself silenced by the utter truth laced in his every word. Her mouth left agape as she tries her best to speak.

"Harv-"

"No. Don't _Harvey_ me, Donna." he warns, his eyes pleading for her to open up.

"Please. I don't wanna ruin this night, Harvey. It's been perfect."

He sees her blinking more frequently now, her tone raspier, telling him she was fighting back the tears she could feel brewing.

"Perfect?" he challenges, furrowing his brows somewhat.

Donna folds her arms under her chest in an attempt to feel more guarded. "What, you disagree?"

"It's been incredible, Donna. But I wouldn't say _perfect_." he almost scoffs. "If it was perfect, I would have been able to kiss you ten times by now. If it was perfect, we would be inside your apartment right now, making up for lost time. If it was perfect, I would be able to talk to you about how I feel. But no, instead I'm just scared of pushing you away."

"Welcome to my world for the last thirteen years, Harvey!" she defends, voice noticeably raised as she becomes unhinged over his last few remarks.

He reads the hurt in her eyes. Apologetically sending her an understanding look that tells her _he knows._

"I'm sorry, okay? For everything." he cries out somewhat softly. "For running to her when it should have been you." The surprise mention of the woman is enough to get her blood warming back up at this stage. "For pushing you away after we kiss-"

"Pushing me away!? Is that what you're calling it?"

He's lost for a response, confused at what she was getting at as he stares her down.

"You didn't _push me away_." She moves in closer, pointing to the floor as her eyes narrow on him. "I would have preferred that! You just acted like there was nobody there to push. Like I was nothing to you. Nothing but your COO." She lets out a heavy breath then, her top lip lightly quivering before she finds the inner strength to carry on. "And I told you once before, that treating me like nothing, is a thousand times worse than treating me like your enemy."

Her words cut too deep for them both. Exposing old wounds from over a year ago. Ones that had never fully healed in the first place.

"You have never been _nothing_ to me, Don-"

"' _I'm not the guy you met in that bar anymore, Donna. Not for you. Not after tonight.'_ " she chokes out, the memory clearly still impacting her. "Your words not mine. The words I had to live with for months. Months spent suppressing any kind of feelings I had for you. And now you're ready to talk about everything. After more than a decade of denial and avoidance. So I have to be ready too?"

"You don't have to be _anything_ , Donna. I wanna give you all the time you need, I do. But it's hard when it's already been five months and we _still_ haven't talked about it! And I know we had our reasons, with Edie and everything. But I _need_ to talk about it, Donna. Or at least know when you think you'll be ready to."

His mention of the baby girl, barely just one week old, and her godparents already bickering like this, has her surrendering to a calmer state. Forcing an orchestrated smile that has him releasing a deflated sigh, knowing he wasn't getting anywhere tonight.

"You're right. We do need to talk. Just not tonight." she says all-too-quietly after a moment of silence.

"Then wh-"

"It's been a wonderful day, Harvey. Thank you." Her tone is telling him to stop persisting on the matter. Her voice getting increasingly wobblier, and perhaps somewhat irritated, while her hand blindly finds the door handle behind her. "Good night."

They share their last longing gaze of the night before he sighs with a frustrated frown, watching her slip away from him.

Yet again.

.

.

.

* * *

 **Okay, it's me so angst was bound to return in some form at some stage. But it has its purpose for the next chapter, I promise.**

 **Spoiler? Mike and Rachel parent-trapping Donna and Harvey, with Edith...**

 **Thanks for reading, would love to hear what you thought! xo.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys! Back with a slightly longer chapter but hopefully it'll be worth the read! I wanted to have this chapter be more fun and humorous as Harvey and Donna deal with the aftermath of their post-date kiss and argument.**

 **Also, always planned on going down the parent-trap route but the first Darvey scene was definitely inspired by a certain teaser that came out about 7B that I wanted to play around with.**

 **Thanks so much for the kind reviews, and for everyone who's following the story, it means the world!**

 **Enjoy! x**

* * *

 _The Godparent Trap_

"What's up with Harvey and Donna?" Mike calls out from his living room couch, relaxed into the cream cushions as he bottle feeds his two week-old daughter, having dashed home on his lunch break to see his family.

"What do you mean?" Rachel asks cautiously as she stirs their coffees, waiting to see how much he knew before she opened her mouth on the matter.

"You could cut the sexual tension between them with a knife.."

"Ohh," she exhales, sounding quite relieved, now pacing in from the kitchen with two steaming cups in hand, "well at least that's something."

"No, Rachel.." He shakes his head looking up from his child who's dark-hazel eyes are transfixed on him as she drinks, "it's like, _angry_ sexual tension."

"Well at least it's sexual.." she mumbles again, trying to remain optimistic on the matter.

Rachel places their drinks on the coffee table and nestles in beside the snuggled up pair on the couch, her left hand playing with his strands as they both dote over their baby.

"Do you know something?" Mike's suspicious smirk only spurs a guilty one from Rachel.

"Maybe…"

He just eyes his fiancé now, brows furrowed as he waits for her to spill, like she always does with him.

"They kissed."

Letting out a brief chuckle, he lightly rolls his eyes at the seemingly anti-climactic news, sending her an amused smile.

"That's old news, Rach."

"Again!" Rachel clarifies, her chin lowering as she eyes him, now showing the stunned reaction he should have had the first time.

"What!? So their date _did_ go well last week then.." he muses. "You wouldn't think it if you saw how the two of them were acting around each other this afternoon."

The brunette lets out a defeated sigh, slightly zoning out in thought as she caresses Edith's little foot dangling over Mike's arm.

"I was worried this would happen."

"What exactly _did_ happen?"

She takes in a breath, meeting brown eyes with blue. "I called her a couple nights ago to see how it went, when I hadn't heard from her about it. And she said it was great. He brought her to see a play and everything," Mike looks down, smiling to himself at how whipped his seemingly unromantic friend was whenever it came to a certain redhead, "and then he walked her up to her door to say goodnight.."

"Ohhh.."

"And they kissed.." she informs, almost whispering while also trying to hold back a smirk, "a lot."

"Let me guess," Mike sighs, "the idiot got overwhelmed by his feelings, and ran away." shaking his head as if he knew it was already true.

"Actually…kinda the other way around."

"What?" He faces her again, more confused than ever now.

"Yeah," the brunette nods, pursing her lips, "as things got _heated_.. Harvey decided he wanted to talk things through first, and she admitted to me that she shut him out. And that was the end of their date." she finishes with a disappointed sigh.

"Shit." Mike whispers in deep thought, seeing Rachel nod in agreement from the corner of his eye.

"Shhiiiiiittt." He lets out again, his eyes bulging when he remembers something.

"You're lucky she's too young to pick up on all your swearing, you know!?" Rachel chuckles, failing to hold on to her scolding frown.

"Rachel..they're doing interviews together. Right now." he finally adds.

"Interviews?"

"For new associates."

"Together?" Rachel asks in surprise, wondering why Harvey had taken an interest, especially over Louis.

"Yeah, Louis is out of town on business. And when I was talking to Harvey this morning.. he said he'd fill in for him, knowing Donna was already doing it, and more than capable of handling it on her own. She wasn't overly pleased. And now I know why."

"And if they're both _frustrated_ at each other, and he still wants to do the interviews, that only means one thing." Rachel deciphers, a slight amusement to her trepidation.

"He's there to bait her."

"I feel like I should warn her." she smiles lightly and awkwardly.

Mike glances at the clock then. "Too late. They've already started."

"God help the associates.."

 **…**

It had been five days since they kissed. And touched. And argued.

Five days since they gave into over twelve maddening years of lust after a torturous five months since their last kiss.

The redhead hadn't seen him since early that Monday morning, after their date the Sunday beforehand. Firm-terms only. And very briefly. She had almost forgotten about his upcoming business trip. Seeing him away to Chicago for almost the entire working week. She found herself glad of the break though. Time to clear her head. Away from him. Yet, since their intensely passionate embrace outside of her apartment, all she wanted was _more_.

More of him. More of them.

But she was also left with this increasingly frustrating feeling inside. Because of their post-date dispute, yes. But also because of how right he was during the altercation -which in hindsight was more of a heated discussion. They need to talk. And she knows that the time for that is well overdue. But she can't help how she feels whenever that time threatens them with its inevitable arrival.

Some of the anxiety about it had washed away though. Because, by default, they had actually aired the beginnings of their 'talk' during their heated, post-makeout exchange. And she realised afterwards, that although it was terrifying, it actually wasn't as difficult as she first imagined. Not with him being so willing to talk and listen, and really hear what she had to say. If only she would say all of it. But she also recognised that him being so open and honest was what was making things more difficult in the first place. She'd never had this side to him before. Oddly, it was easier for her to discuss their relationship during an intense row, after some intimate moment they shared, because that was all she knew.

She had just needed time to adjust, and let herself catch up.

And now he was back. Bright and early the following Friday morning. Before hijacking her interviews. And her thoughts.

 **.**

"So Matthew, tell us why you want to work here at Specter Litt?" Donna asks the young man, quietly sat opposite her across the large conference room desk. _More like boy,_ she thinks as she takes in his blonde curly locks and wide eyes, fidgeting with his hands, clearly put off by Harvey's strong, but so far quiet presence.

"Well, you're one of Manhattan's top-leading law firms, it would be a privilege to work here." He states, before he registers two pairs of eyes expecting him to elaborate more than that. "Uhm… also it's like, really close to home so.." he stutters nervously.

Harvey knits his brows at the seemingly young idiot in front of him, while Donna broadens her eyes, sighing as she looks down at his resume before her.

"Okay.." she mumbles, her Bic pen stroking the pages as she bites her lip, desperately trying not to smirk in utter astonishment. "And what could you bring to our firm, if we were to take you on?"

"Uhh," He ponders, as Harvey clenches his jaw at the flustering mess, already wanting to end the interview, knowing full well he wasn't giving this kid a job, "is that a trick question?"

Donna turns to eye Harvey, for the first time since they had started conducting the interviews. Matthew was candidate number three. She had tried to avoid the managing partner as much as possible that morning. While she figured out what she wanted to say to him.

But that only annoyed him further, leading to and awkwardly tense office run-in which had Mike in the middle, completely bewildered as to why they were talking so bluntly, with obscure innuendos and charged glances. And now, he had imposed his commandeering-self into her interviews last minute, giving her no time to argue back. She just had to go with it.

Donna soon wishes that she never looked at him when all it does is stir up her bodies memory of last Sunday night. Aching groins and numbing lips. All she can hear are the sounds they both made outside her door as he pushed her up against the wall. Finally kissing her like he's wanted to kiss her everyday for the last thirteen years.

She crosses her legs then, subconsciously fiddling with the hem of her light-pink, sleeveless blazer dress. Before leaning into the table somewhat, refocusing her attention on the reason for the gathering.

Harvey swallows back his arousal as her right leg folds over the left. Creamy, silky-smooth and each about a mile-long. He clears his throat before reluctantly looking back to the young man.

"No.. not a trick question." Donna smiles, almost feeling sorry for him. Also wondering why he got into this profession in the first place. If he can't even talk his way through an interview, how would he ever talk his way through a courtroom? "What are your best traits?"

"Well, I'm extremely hard-working.." Harvey fears he may actual fall asleep if the unoriginal dimwit says anything else, "..and I value loyalty in the workplace."

"Just in the workplace?" Harvey quizzes with sudden intrigue, his unimpressed tone making it sound more like an interrogation than an interview.

"Uhh, no of course not, in my everyday life too." he nods, forcing a nervous smile.

Donna sees how poorly the young man is at getting his point across, prompting her next question.

"How are your communication skills, Matthew?" she asks, closely observing both his verbal and physical answers, as she studies his body language too.

"I think I'm good at communicating.."

"You think?" Harvey cuts in, almost finding it comical at this stage, before Donna sends him a disapproving glare, slightly annoying him somewhat. But also turning him on in a way he couldn't explain.

"Because excellent communication skills are vital in any workplace. But especially a working environment as large and busy as ours. We have to be able to rely on our employees to properly communicate wi-"

The redhead finds herself interrupted by a timely snicker from her fellow interviewer. However, knowing how unprofessional it would be to comment on his obvious dig, she carries on, only giving him a spine-chilling side-eye in response as she sits up further in her chair, her hands clasped together, directed towards the interviewee.

" _..to adequately communicate with each other,_ " she states again, fresh annoyance in her tone, "in order to get jobs done to the highest of standards."

She can't help but end on a subtle verbal jab of her own then as she glances to her right without looking at him.

"There can be no lone wolves here."

Harvey cocks his head in her direction from where he was comfortably sat back in his chair, his hands locked over his torso, elbows jutted out in each direction. Watching as she remains staring ahead. Debating whether to be the bigger man or not.

He chose not.

"Yes, _Matt_.." he says boldy, leaning into the conference room desk now too, his elbows now pressing against the glass. "We wouldn't want you failing to communicate with us. Especially when we need to know how you feel about _certain things._ "

Clearly Harvey didn't care for subtleties as much as Donna did. But he had made the mistake of unnerving her now.

"Uh, yes that's understa-" the aspiring lawyer mumbles before getting cut off by the second poked bear.

"But we also wouldn't want to pressure you into voicing things that you're not fully comfortable with communicating yet." she smiles comfortingly at him, with a seething edge to her tone nonetheless, knowing exactly who she really ought to be looking at.

"Unless it's been months and you've already turned down several opportunities to _voice_ your concern _..Matthew._ " Harvey adds, with an aggravated edge to his speech.

Donna rolls her eyes in defeat, tongue poking the inside of her cheek with vexation as she taps the glass with her dark maroon nails.

Harvey's nostrils are flared and his jaw is clenched, shaking his head as the room is filled with a thick, penetrable silence.

The baffled young job respondent just sits there, his blinking eyes searching the two people sat before him as his mouth is left agape, desperately trying to figure out what they wanted him to say.

"Uhh-"

"Well _, Matthew,_ it's been a pleasure. We have your resume on file and you'll be sure to hear from us in the coming days about the outcome of your interview."

Donna smiles formally while she stands, causing him to do the same as he accepts her handshake and cautiously eyes Harvey who was gazing out onto the city skyline from his seat still. Before he all but runs out of the room, delighted to be free of whatever the hell he was just caught in the middle of.

"Well that was incredibly professional of you.." she sarcastically scoffs with a mirthless chuckle, after a moment of watching him sulk. Looking down at him with distaste now, sitting lopsided in his chair as he subconsciously chews the top of his pen.

"Me?" he sneers in disbelief, watching as her brows lower in bemusement at his denial. "You're the one who made the _lone wolf_ comment. And we all know who that was aimed at, Donna."

Her arms become folded across her chest. Defensively or aggressively, he can't tell.

"Well at least what I was hinting at still made sense to the interview! You were clearly just using it to get under my skin! The poor guy didn't know what was happening."

"Uhh, the kid was an idiot, and you knew as well as I did that we weren't gonna hire him from the minute he walked in here."

"That doesn't excuse you acting like an unprofessional ass, Harvey!"

He jumps out of his chair next, pushing it behind him with the backs of his legs as he closes the gap between them.

" _Me,_ unprofessional?" His question is accusing. His eyes are stamped with something shy of pure anger. His body is suddenly incredibly close to hers.

The control leaks from her face once he's staring her down no more than two feet away. She swallows down something she wants to believe is frustration. And maybe it is. Just not of the solely _angered_ kind.

She tightens her still folded arms, her fingers unconsciously digging into her left bicep. Perhaps trying to tamper down certain urges as his now coal eyes bore through hazel-green.

"Yes, you." she simply croaks out, denying any sort of tension she was feeling all too low in her abdomen.

Once he notices her angered resolve faltering ever so slightly, as her lashes flutter more frequently and her throat bobs, he's suddenly changing his tune, his body language, and his motives.

"Well.." he murmurs as he tests the waters, his voice still standoffish but low and deep now also. Too deep for her liking when she almost feels the urge to cross her legs, even while standing up. He inches even closer then until she can feel the ends of his breath tickling her lips, inhaling it with her own. "Maybe being unprofessional has its benefits."

Donna catches him placing his right palm onto the chair she was standing beside. His hand now right beside her waist. Dangerously close. Especially in broad daylight, behind the completely transparent glass wall of the conference room. Which only seems to excite them both further.

"Maybe it does.." she whispers deeply, only looking at his lips now.

"Rules are overrated if you ask me." He returns the lip-staring, while involuntarily licking his own.

Turns out this is what happens when two people, who were all too close to sleeping together the weekend before, don't see each other for four days straight, and then have to work together, without having talked things through;

 _Eye sex. Lots of eye sex._

The mere taste of a smirk forms at her lips then. Just enough to let him know he's not saying all the wrong things. Yet. But what he's really looking out for is that flirtatiously arched brow of hers. One that would tell him he's close to being written into her good books again.

She wets her lips when his tongue peaks out behind his own.

"How so?" she breaths out, her words accompanied by a gentle quirk of her left brow.

"For starters.." he mumbles with a sense of accomplishment now. His voice becoming grainier by the second. Each second becoming more electric and arousing than the last, "they stop you from doing what you really, _really_ want to be doing."

His tongue spoke 'what' but his tone said 'who'.

When she feels his thumb graze her bare forearm, and her hairs stand on end, she realises they had fallen to her sides. As if subconsciously inviting him in.

It takes every gentlemanly ounce of strength in him not to let his eyes drop to her low v-neck. Each delicious freckle there taunting him from the corner of his vision. He swallows back the hoarseness in his throat. So completely overcome with the sexually stimulating back-and-forth that he was forgetting the reason they were in this lascivious mess in the first place. Because he wanted to talk things over first. Momentarily having him inwardly curse his new therapist for getting him to this stage of emotional maturity.

But since their last kiss, and the promiscuous dreams that haunt his sleeping self ever since, all he can think about is having her up against a wall again, or any surface for that matter, as their bodies do all the real talking.

And at first, all she could think about was having his head. His actual head. On a silver platter. For getting her so physically worked up last night only to end it with _'we need to talk first'._

But now, with him standing firmly over her, tracing her every move with his eagerly eagle-eyes, her initial irritation seems to subside somewhat. Giving in to the disturbance deep in her groin now instead.

Just as she lowers her lip to speak, some sexually suggestive quip no doubt, they find themselves ever so rudely interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Sorry to interfere.."

Gretchen smirks at the duo with her typically judgmental stare. Not knowing what the hell she's just walked in on. But at the same time knowing _exactly_ what. Because it doesn't take a genius to figure these two out. And she's had them pegged from the minute she stepped foot in the firm.

"But the next candidate is ready _..when you are_." she finishes, looking them both up and down, ' _I see you two_ ' written all over her face.

They both lightly clear their throats, while Harvey scratches his neck and turns his head to give the woman a nod.

"Thank you, Gretchen." Donna smiles. "You can send them in now."

The two women share a knowing glance before she leaves, and Harvey's focusing all of his attention on the somewhat flustered redhead again.

Donna turns to the desk, shuffling with the papers just for something to do, now that a bucket of ice-cold water had been thrown on top of their scorching fire.

"I'll leave you to it then." he nods to the back of her frame.

"What?" Donna tosses her head towards him with a creased frown.

"You don't need me here.." His brows are lowered and his eyes are darting out the window as he casually bobs his head.

"That's not what you insisted on when we started forty minutes ago." she blinks at him with quizzically-raised brows.

 _I wasn't sure if you still wanted to screw me forty minutes ago._

He forces a light smirk, pressing his lips together in a bid to hold his carnal tongue.

"Yeah, I uhh, just remembered something to do with a case, I've gotta go chase down a new lead."

She knows he's lying through his teeth. And that he's gladly skipping out on the firm's chores now that he had gotten some form of a reaction out of her. For the first time since their steamy kiss.

"Asshole." she mutters to herself as she watches him disappear down the hallway. Now more determined than ever _not_ to let her body's desires overrule her mind's reasoning.

No. If anything, she'd be the one making _him_ sweat next.

 **…**

As the next week progresses, so does the pair's endless game of cat and mouse. Both as equally unwilling to be the first to address the huge kiss-sized elephant between them.

He, was afraid to bring it up again. Afraid to get into another argument. So admittedly, he was back-tracking somewhat. Giving her space. For now.

She, was anxiously waiting for him to bring it up again. More than twelve years of being the one getting emotionally shot down would do that to a person.

They both however, were enjoying the pent-up sexual energy between them. Even if they wouldn't admit it to themselves, or anyone else.

The likes of Alex and Louis, and of course Mike and Rachel, were the first to pick up on this _-energy._ The lingering eye contact, the stubborn attitudes, the subtle not-so-subtle insinuations.

But only the latter two decided to intervene.

 **.**

"Look who it is, Edie," Mike whispers purposefully loud as he swoops into Harvey's office with the three-week old strapped to his chest via a black baby carrier, "grumpy God-daddy."

"What are you doing here, I gave you the day off?" he frowns from his desk, before double-taking Mike's whole baby ensemble, trying to decide whether or not to mock him over it.

"And that's exactly why I'm here."

Harvey just deepens his frown, waiting for him to continue.

"I know you've got nothing major going on today," Harvey glances to Edie then, already seeing where this was going as he raises his chin and brows at the younger lawyer, "and it's lunchtime anyway so, I was thinking you could take this little one for a bit?"

"No way." he responds, harshly and firmly, as he pretends to look at the papers before him again, smoothing out his tie that lay under his waistcoat, having shed himself of his suit jacket inside the stuffy office. "I _am_ busy actually."

He loved the kid. More than he ever thought he could. But Harvey Specter was a businessman. A damn good one at that. He didn't babysit on his lunch. Or ever, for that matter.

"Come on," Mike pleads, tilting his head back, "I told Rachel I'd take her out for lunch, just the two of us."

"Ask Donna." he responds, without looking up from his papers, fearing he wouldn't be able to say no if he locked eyes on the baby.

"No, I'm asking you." he frowns. "And besides, I don't see her in her office."

Harvey inhales deeply, leaning back in his leather chair as his nostrils flare and his jaw sets in heavy contemplation. Finally allowing himself to look back to the pair, he exhales.

"Fine." he lightly rolls his eyes, rising to his feet as he points at Mike, "but you better be back in one hour." he warns, using his forefinger to amplify the emphasis on 'one'. He removes himself from behind his desk until he's beside them now.

"An hour, tops." Mike smiles with a light nod.

"And I'm not wearing that." Harvey lowers his chin towards the carrier strapped around his protégé. "You look like a kangaroo."

"Hey," Mike furrows his brows, "it's better for your back, and keeps your hands free."

Harvey shakes his head as Mike waves his palms in front of his face.

"I'm embarrassed to be seen with you." the older man informs him, glancing out of his office.

Mike dramatically covers his sleeping daughter's ears, looking to Harvey with feigned disgust as he whispers towards the infant, gently swaying with her.

"It's okay baby, he loves you really. He just doesn't wanna show it."

"I didn't mean _her,_ and you know it." he reasons, his tone verging on annoyed now, before his eyes settle on the newborn.

Mike just quietly laughs to himself before snapping back into action, removing the baby bag from around his shoulder and dropping it in front of an unexcited looking Harvey.

"Okay she's fed and watered, you shouldn't have to do a thing, but.."

"Mike.." he warns, his voice deep and agitated, "if you think I'm changing a diaper, you've got another thing coming."

"Hmm," he hums, slowly removing the baby-carrying contraption from his body, carefully holding onto Edith as not to wake her up, "perhaps you should find Donna..maybe she could help you for the hour."

His feigned innocence doesn't fool Harvey for a second. Especially not with the beginnings of a smug smirk curling at his lips as he bites his tongue in concentration with his practiced movements.

"Need a hand removing your bra?" Harvey mocks, his face mostly blank, only showing a ghost of a grin.

"Nope," he sighs, finally free of the material, before looking to his boss with mischief in his eyes, "but like I said, maybe you could _help Donna_ with that."

Harvey shuffles on the spot, biting his inner cheek as the thoughts that Mike was intentionally putting in his head get to work on his already pent-up desire.

"Hilarious," His tone ever sarcastic as he tentatively reaches out to take the baby from Mike now, still somewhat wrapped up in her father's beloved contraption, "but you said maybe _she_ could help _me._ "

"Is that what I said?" Mike queries in faux forgetfulness as he looks off to his left, "hmmm.."

"Oh, is _Mr. Photographic Memory_ experiencing sudden amnesia now?"

"Must be the baby brain."

"I'll bet." Harvey mumbles, looking down at his goddaughter now, lying vertically as he securely holds her against his chest.

He's too busy looking at Edith to realise he's after putting both hands through the loosened straps of the carrier. Mike ceases the opportunity and stealthily makes his way around Harvey as he chats, pulling the straps around his shoulders and fastening it closed at the back and sides.

"Mike…what the hell are you doing?" Harvey grumbles, more than unimpressed now. His tone telling him to take it off as quick as he put it on.

"Just letting you get a feel for it." he snickers. "Never know, you might need one of your own some day."

"Mike.." Harvey growls.

"Anyway, I'm serious about you and Donna…" Mike revisits in an all too suggestive manner as he caresses Edith's cheek one last time before he leaves, "maybe you could both help each other.." he pretends to clear his throat next, "ease some of that _tension.._ "

"What did you say?" Harvey quizzes, his failed suppressed smirk contradicting his unimpressed tone.

"Nothing!" Mike responds, making his way out the door before either could say anything else on the topic. "See you in an hour."

"Wait, Mike!" he calls out in confusion, his eyes darting to the baby strapped to his shirt before they were back on his sneaky friend now stopping to turn back in the doorway. "Where did you leave her stroller?"

Mike laughs at the worry in his friend's tone, tapping the glass frame of the doorway before straightening his expression.

"At home."

"Mike… I'm not wear-"

"Like I said, maybe Donna can help." he knits his brows. "Oh and by the way, chicks dig the kangaroo pouch."

And with that he's gone, gladly strolling down the corridor, knowing Harvey was never going to come after him wearing what he was wearing. Not wanting to dent his perfect public image at the firm. Or anywhere, for that matter.

Harvey lets out a deep sigh, shaking his head at the punk-ass kid disappearing down the hallway.

He mulls over his options for awhile before he looks back down at the snoozing baby nestled into his chest. An hour would feel like ten if he did this alone. In the end he only had one option. _One person._

He whips out his phone, noticing how Mike was right about the free hands thing as he types out his message.

' _My office. Now. Please.'_

 **.**

The newly irritated redhead makes her way down the hallway. His demanding and trademark vague messaging, which interrupted the beginnings of her lunch just as she had seated herself down in the executive kitchen, making her want to throw her turkey sandwich right at his _big, pretentious head._

As she turns left into his office, she tastes the quippy remark on the tip of her tongue die out, stalling in the doorway she soon realises she won't be throwing anything at him. Speech-wise or food-wise. Because he's got precious cargo attached to his body.

No matter how much they were driving each other crazy over the past two weeks, she still finds it utterly impossible to hide her amusement, smashing her lips together in a meager attempt not to burst out laughing at the unforeseen image before her. One that should have went together like chalk and cheese. But instead was more like vanilla and coffee.

"Well, there's a sight I never thought I'd see."

She eyes him with the straightest face she can muster up in the moment, her hip teasing the glass panel as she begins to tease _him._

"Don't even start." Harvey warns, pointing at her with widened eyes as he rotates to face her fully.

"Wait, just let me get my camera!" She points back at him, pretending to leave for her office.

"Donna.." he low whines, cocking his head in defeat, his eyes flashing between her and the hallway, turning to his side every time somebody walks by lest they see him buckled up like he was about to do a helicopter jump or something, "don't leave ..please"

She'd say he was pleading but it felt more like begging. He was truly sweating.

She lets her full smirk show then, head tilting to the side as she bites her bottom lip before wordlessly swaying towards the now conjoined pair. Her thumb lovingly and gently stroking the top of her goddaughter's head as she pulls to a stop in front of them.

"Only because I pity her being left all alone with the Grinch."

"Just help me out of this thing, will you?" He pleads again. His left hand protectively, and maybe even instinctively, holding onto the back of Edie's head for extra support. While his other hand waves around his back and sides, wondering how the hell Mike released himself from it moments beforehand.

Anyone with a fraction of baby experience could have easily freed themselves. But Harvey.. his brain didn't even know where to start with the foreign object laced around his body. Too focused on remaining unseen and keeping his image unsullied.

Donna eyes him for awhile, her menacing smirk telling him that she was contemplating her options.

He sends her one last beseeching stare before she breathes out and light-heartedly rolls her eyes, twisting her finger around in circles amid the space between them, silently telling him to turn around.

Her hands are on the straps just behind his ribs while both of his are on the baby's back and head. She's just about to free him when his next words only end up prolonging his sentence.

"You don't mind taking her for an hour, do you?"

Her answer would always be no, of course she wouldn't mind. She loved the bones of that baby. But his presumptuous way of questioning only act as sparks, igniting the fire in her belly once again.

She bites her tongue, her hands dropping back to her sides as she dons a mirthless smirk. Shaking her head with a light eye-roll.

"You know what.." she hums, far too easily adopting her most convincing dumbfounded tone, "I can't seem to open this thing, I think it's jammed."

"What?" he panics. "Keep trying."

"Nope." Donna grunts, pretending to pull at the buckle again. "Definitely jammed. Mike really did a number on you, huh?" she mumbles, guessing that's who dropped Edith off.

"What am I supposed to do for an hour?" Harvey swoops back around to face her, his frantic voice stirring the baby from her dreams as she lets out a startled cry.

He immediately looks down with guilt. Swaying and shushing her back to a state of slumberous serenity. Donna unknowingly holding her breath at the surprisingly paternal reaction.

"It's just one hour, Harvey." She reasons once he looks back up at her, her head tilted at him with the famous quirk of her brow.

"And what if someone sees me?"

"Ashamed?" She sends him an unimpressed glare, furrowed brows with a challenging smirk.

"Come on, Donna, you know it's not that.." He looks down at the baby again, "but I'm the managing partner. I can't have a baby strapped to me at work.. what if a client drops by or something?"

"Well then you'll just have to tell them that you're trying out Kangaroo-ism for the day!" She teases with chirpy intonation as she widens her doe-eyes at him and his marsupial-like item, before throwing in a few blinks for good measure.

With a cock of his head and pursed lips, he's letting her know that he isn't taking any outward amusement in her obvious enjoyment at him being apparently 'stuck' like this. However, inwardly he's grinning over her using the same type joke as he did with Mike earlier.

Donna looks around the room as she sighs, crossing her arms while she thinks of what to do to get him out of this. Even if only somewhat. Still not willing to completely set him free. The sight of him wearing the eye-catching piece, being the funniest thing she's seen in far too long. And besides, this was her perfect revenge for the previous week's conference room shenanigans. And perhaps even for the way their date ended.

Her observant eyes land on his silver-grey suit jacket draped neatly over the back of his desk chair. Before he knows it, she has it retrieved and is holding it out in front of him, purposefully outstretching it so he could easily slide his arms into the sleeves.

"Here, put this on. It'll cover your bra straps at least."

Again, humours; far too alike.

"And the baby?"

"Well unfortunately I don't think it's gonna button up over her, Harvey." she says mockingly, while helping him into each sleeve.

He rolls his eyes at her smart-ass attitude. She's too busy flattening out the shoulders of his jacket to see, but she knows by the way his head cocks that he's not impressed.

She only realises that she's allowed herself to fall back into their old pattern of her fixing up his appearance a few moments later, prompting her to cease her affectionate fine-combing. He doesn't give much notice though, too caught up with the baby harnessed to his chest.

"There," she breaths out, taking a step back as he turns to her once more, "can hardly notice it."

She bites the inside of her inner lip at the sight before her. First, out of amusement. Second, out of arousal. Or broodiness. Probably both.

"Great plan, Donna.." he mutters with his signature side order of sarcasm. "I'm gonna kill Mike."

"Who said I was finished with you?"

The way she says it has him swallowing back a lump in his throat, watching as her eyes widen at him and she moves to his side, her hand landing on his lower back.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

She's edging him towards the door, picking up the navy-blue baby bag and swinging it over her left shoulder.

"Donna I can't go out th-"

"Move. Harvey." she commands, rushing his rigid frame out the door while there was nobody walking the hallway near his corner office. The place was conveniently quiet now that it was lunch time.

She wonders if she should feel guilty as she sneaks a few glances towards him amid their corridor cat-walk, _-plus one._ But the sheer discomfort in his face is far too comical for her to take shame in finding it funny. And she makes sure to forever capture the memory in her mind now, while she can.

Coming around the bend of the hallway she notices two approaching figures, chatting with their heads bent down into some papers. She's tempted to risk them seeing Harvey, just so she can watch his ego take a knock or two as they ogle him with pure confusion. But the empath, and best friend- and now lover of some sort -in her chooses to have his back.

Pulling on his wrist, she quickly swoops around until she's stopped up, facing directly in front of him. Blocking the baby from their view, making it look like she and Harvey were just stood there chatting until the passers-by were well out of sight.

"Thanks.." he murmurs, a tight, yet grateful smirk on his face as he gazes at her with kind eyes.

"We can't go tarnishing that bad boy reputation of yours now, can we?" she jokes as if it was nothing.

They smile a second longer until he looks down at his wrist, still lightly gripped by her fingers. Which she only realises when he looks back up at her. She lets go of his arm then, but not his eyes. Still smiling at him, sweeter than she has since their date almost two weeks ago.

"Come on." She wastes no more time, directing them towards the elevators now.

"Where are you taking us?" he frowns in response, immediately following her all the same.

"Text Ray, tell him we'll be out front in two minutes." she nods assertively, before nudging him into the metal car and quickly pressing the doors closed before anyone else had a chance to jump in.

 **…**

Harvey's considerably much more relaxed now. More confident that he's not going to run into anyone he knows in such a wide, open space as Central Park. He starts to remove his jacket again, feeling the sun's intense rays burning through its heavy fabric.

"So you wanna take Edith to the Garden too?" he toys, draping the material over his left arm.

"No.." the redhead glowers at him, "I thought we might just sit in the park or something. Enjoy being out in the fresh air instead of cooped up in that building. Maybe get some ice-cream?"

"Can newborns even eat ice-cream?"

"No, but she's asleep and I won't tell her she's missing out if you don't."

They each offer the other a warm smirk before she's ordering him around with her next breath.

"You go sit in the shade," she nods towards the empty bench no more than twenty yards away, shadowed by a beautiful oak tree, looking to Edie afterwards, making sure she's not too exposed to the heat as she hands him the baby bag, "I'll get us some dessert."

Donna's contemplating her own order of sorbet from the ice-cream stand a few moments later, when she spots something from the corner of her eye. Or rather someone.

 _With Harvey._

She looks over her shoulder then, the hazel in her eyes almost overpowered by the green as an unexpected streak of jealousy courses straight through her. She soon forgets about the ice-cream, her concentration now purely committed to this woman. This strange woman ogling her _-friend_ , and gushing over her goddaughter in his arms. How she's giggling at Harvey's every word. Even though it only looks like he's saying the bare minimum. Actually, the more she stares, the more she realises how uncomfortable he looks, behind his feigned grin.

"Ma'am?" a young man's voice calls out, bringing her focus back to the task in hand as she jumps right off her train of thought. "Your sorbets?"

"Sorry! Uh, yes I'll just take one tropical and one strawberry, thanks." The tropical was for him. Mango and pineapple. She didn't even have to think about it for a second.

As she makes her way over to the bench that he was still standing at, not having had the chance to even sit down thanks to _Ms. Chatty Cathy,_ her minor jealousy contorts into something else in the pit of her stomach. A sickening feeling. A realisation that, although she could pick up from a mile off that this woman was not his type, the next Zoe or Scottie . _.or Paula_ could be just around the corner. And she would have waited too long, losing him to another woman. Only this time, she wouldn't be able to watch him in another relationship. She wouldn't be able to just grit her teeth and smile, telling herself that she's happy if he's happy. Because this time, she would know for a fact that she's in love with him. And that she wants to be happy, _with_ him.

About ten feet away now, having a closer look at this woman drooling over him, the actress in her comes out to play and she decides to perform, with very few lines, knowing women pick up on body language better than men do.

With a huge grin, she hands him his cup. Her eyes being solely trained on the brunette causing her to miss his adorably relieved expression now that she was back. Once he takes the sorbet, her now free hand is landing on his bicep.

"Hi," she says, overly sweet, glancing to Harvey and then back to the woman, "who's our new friend here?"

"Uhh..this is.." Harvey mumbles, waiting for the stranger to finish for him, her name having gone completely over his head.

"Jennifer." she smiles, eyes darting between the pair.

"This is Donna." Harvey smiles at the woman. "My-"

"Oh, you must be.." she almost blushes while smiling awkwardly, glancing at all three as she puts two and two together. Or at least puts Harvey, Donna and Edith together and gets ' _family'._

Donna just cocks her head and persistently smiles, letting her hand slide to caress Edith's little balled-up fist resting against Harvey's waistcoat.

Neither of them correct the woman's assumptions.

"Well it was nice to meet you all." she nods, getting one in return from Harvey..

"You too." Donna adds brightly, after a brief silence, now waiting for her to leave.

The redhead's brows furrow with an unapologetic judgment as she watches the woman walk away then, rejoining the group of mother's bringing their kids to play in the park. Inwardly- and outwardly if you count her facial expression -baffled at how a middle-aged woman could so easily hit on a man who clearly looks like he's just had a baby, ie. _with another woman._

"So you're pretending she's your kid to pick up soccer moms now?" Donna glares, acting completely nonchalant about it all as she playfully quizzes him.

"No!" he defends straight away. "I barely got a word in, didn't have the chance to correct her."

He follows her over to sit on the bench, smirking as he looks down at Edith. He takes a spoonful of sorbet next, "And soccer moms?" he asks, swallowing down the creamy dessert, "You seriously think that's my type?"

She's knows they're not, but that's not going to stop her from winding him up.

"You've had so many women over the years, Harvey, I don't think they could all fit into one neat _type._ " She pops her eyes at him, that devilish left brow arching as she takes her first spoonful, eyes trained on his the entire time.

"Well actually, you're wrong." He waits until her light frown is challenging him before he continues. "They all have _one_ common denominator."

"Oh yeah? And what's that?"

The redhead plays with her sorbet now, looking down into the tub as she swirls the pinky mixture, not entirely sure she wants to hear what they all share in common.

" _They're not you."_

She hears his smooth voice before she registers his even smoother words, forcing her to cease her sorbet-swirling. Quickly trying to decide whether to laugh it off or take the compliment. But apparently she takes too long for his confidence to bear and he's shuffling in his seat, his teasing tone returning.

"And anyway, you're one to talk."

She feels safe enough to dart her head towards him then, eyes soon narrowing at him with an intrigued smirk.

"Excuse me?"

"About pretending."

"What?" Donna lets out a nervous chuckle, turning her body to face him, her arm propped against the back of the bench, elegantly crossing her legs under her Valentino dress.

"That casual hand on my arm.. maternally doting over Edith.." he happily lists off, "you were acting domestic. Like _we_..were domestic. And you know it."

Her lips part, open-mouth smirking at him and his ever-growing cockiness.

"Jealous?" he chances, looking down at Edith afterwards, his hand on her back again.

"Of soccer moms?"

Her tone tells him he's being ridiculous. But he can see by the way her tongue plays with the inside of her cheek that he's not all that wrong.

"Whatever.." she scoffs once his cocky stare answers for him, "I saw that you were struggling to get away so yeah.. maybe I came over with a certain .. _pretence_ about me." she shakes her head defensively, her eyes veering off the her left as she speaks, before she's conveniently turning the spotlight back around on him. "But only to save your sorry ass."

"Oh we're talking about my ass now are we?"

His smug face should be annoying her more than it is turning her on. As she feels the need to cross her legs at the mere thought- more like memory -but doesn't give in. Swallowing back whatever arousal was burgeoning out of their ridiculously slow-burning, yet now mildly less slow-burning, relationship.

"Can I get the Harvey from two weeks ago back please?" she blinks at him with a dramatic sigh.

Harvey takes in a deep breath, eyes scanning the park as he speaks. "He wasn't sure you wanted him back."

"Well I do. His ego was much easier to fit into my life." She glances at his forehead briefly. Neither of them missing the way she chose to phrase that sentence. "Even though it was still huge."

He turns to face her next, his elbow almost touching her hand on the back of the bench as his free arm holds onto Edith.

He makes _that face_. The one she used to see much more often when they first met. Back when his daily goal was to try and get her to give in to his flirtatiously-natured ways. Late night drinks at the DA's office when everyone was gone home. Teasing her when she was fixing up his suit and tie. Subtly suggesting they hang out after work.

The face that accompanied all those things was was back. It had returned in the last month or so too. Just with a more charming edge about it. But this face was all boyishness -and sex.

"Is this your way of asking _me_..to ask _you.._ out on another date?"

"Are you kidding me?" Her nervous laughter only adds fuel to his flirt.

"Edie, I think Donna wants to date me." he whispers intentionally loud.

"Ugh.. give her to me." She shuffles in her seat, uncharacteristically insecure, feeling far too out of her comfort zone with him calling her out. "Before you corrupt her too much."

Donna closes the small gap between them, gesturing for him to turn around so she could untie him. And he does as he's told.

"Wait.." he muses, his back facing Donna now. She realises she's messed up and knows that he knows now. "I thought I was stuck in this? You said you couldn't get me out.."

He turns his head over his left shoulder to get a better look at her, lest she act her way out of it.

She simply pops her eyes at him, "I lied", before finally releasing him from his baby-shackles. She's taking Edith from him and the carrier, cradling her in her arms before she finds herself facing his next inquisition.

"So.. if all this time _you knew_ I wasn't stuck…and you still dragged me all the way out here.." Donna feels her cheeks burning somewhat, inwardly cursing herself for screwing up. "That means you wanted to be here, _with me._ "

She doesn't look up from the baby, swallowing back the truth in his smug accusations. "I wanted an afternoon out with my goddaughter who happened to be attached to you so.."

"You.." he continues, ignoring her feigned nonchalance, his tongue now suddenly even more playful, "brought me on a date."

The redhead sways her jaw, mindlessly playing with the peach-coloured button of Edie's onesie as she holds down a smirk.

"What? Nothing to say? Is this another moment I get to mark in the _Donna calendar?"_

"Know when to shut it, Harvey."

He looks at her then, eyes scanning from her face all the way down to her feet, before they're returning to concentrate on her lips.

"Mike was right.."

"About what?" she asks, finally tossing her head towards him, her eyes catching his as her honey hair falls on her left side, blowing softly in the soothing breeze.

"Babies," he solemnly nods towards Edith, "they really do help pick up women."

She lets out a sigh of disapproval before she's chuckling alongside him, sending a lazy shoulder whack his way.

"If you ask me.." He starts again, clearly not ready to drop the subject he's been itching to bring up for two weeks now.

"Not asking you.." she mumbles with a faux-sweet smile.

"This was your way of bringing up our date," He gravitates a few inches closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper, "..without bringing up our date."

Of course he's referring to the kiss, and the argument, and she's not sure she has the energy to discuss either right now.

"Harvey-"

"Don't even try and deny it, Donna. Just admit that I know you just as well as you know me." One questionable glare is enough to have him recanting slightly. "Okay maybe not _just_ as well, but close enough."

She smiles at his determined ways, sighing with a shake of her head before she relaxes into the back of the bench, growing closer to him as she does so. "Please, just- can we not mention _dates_ for awhile?"

He looks to his arm rested on the back of the seat, now behind her entire frame since she let herself fall closer to him.

"I know we need to talk more. And we will." she nods in understanding, eyes narrowing at something she wasn't really paying attention to in the far distance. "But can we please just sit, for now?"

He eyes her side profile next, smiling sweetly as he closes his mouth, absorbing her state of calm.

He closes the last few inches between them now, their bodies tentatively kissing. His right hand moves to caress the baby's foot hanging out over the edge as she lays nestled in Donna's arms.

It feels like the most natural thing in the world when she gently lets her head drop to the right, lightly leaning into the crook of his neck.

Harvey inhales the heavenly aroma of the scents he's long associated with the redhead, as both her shampoo and perfume greet his senses once they fully relax into one another. His right hand soon finding the courage to rest just at the top of her arm as his fingers press against her flesh.

"Of course we can, Donna."

.

.

.

* * *

 **okay, they may be a slow-burning couple but at least they're starting to burn a bit faster again now! :P  
the next chapter will be the start of a certain plot which was the main reason I wanted to use this type of storyline in the first place: Darvey overnight babysitting.. together.**

 **Thanks for reading :) x**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone!**

 **Incredibly sorry for the late update, Suits returning took my attention away from AU land for awhile..  
** **But as promised, here's Harvey and Donna babysitting Edie (part one), while shamelessly, hopelessly, and not-so-secretly being in love, lol.**

 **Hope this was 'worth the wait' :)**

* * *

 _The Sitters_

 _(Part I)_

Harvey answers his phone the next Friday morning, already pissed off and ready to kill the person who was calling him.

"Mike, where are you!? We have a meeting with John Barnes in less than fifteen minutes." His angered voice booms over the speaker as he sits somewhat tensely in his office chair.

"Harvey, I can't make it in today-"

"The hell you can't!" he frowns, unapologetically cutting him off. "Unless someone died, you can get your ass in here right the hell now!"

"Someone did die, Harvey." Mike says quietly.

The younger man's words send him into an immediate state of inner worry, frowning with dread as he straightens up.

"What?"

"Rachel's aunt, she passed away last night."

"Shit, Mike. I'm sorry." Harvey offers, his voice now full of condolences, even though somewhat relieved that it wasn't anyone he knew. "How's Rachel?"

"She's good," Mike sighs, "upset of course.. they were close, but she was sick for awhile now so it didn't come as a huge shock."

Harvey's entire demeanor softens as he relaxes back into his chair.

"I know Rachel's still on leave, but you take all the time you need this weekend, to be with her. I'll take care of Barnes on my own."

 _To be with her._

 _Mr. 'Caring Makes You Weak'_ had become undeniably softer in recent months. If not years.

"Thanks, Harvey."

He hears his friend stalling on the other side of the call, straight away telling him that he wanted to ask him something.

"What is it, Mike?"

"Well.." he holds his breath, taking his time to get the words right, "her aunt lived in Vermont, and I don't want Rachel to have to go to the funeral on her own.."

"Of course not."

"And funerals are no place for newborns. And plus, all that travelling with a baby?"

Harvey sighs, already hearing the next question before Mike even has a chance to speak it. Knowing there was no way he could say no, not when someone had died.

"You want me to take Edie?"

"Would you mind? It'd only be for one day. We should be back first thing Sunday morning. I know it's late notice, but I wouldn't ask if I didn't already know you had an easy schedule this weekend.."

Harvey wonders why the redhead wasn't choice number one. It made no sense to him. But it's not like he can so blatantly say "ask Donna" again this time, given the circumstances.

"Of course, Mike. As long as you leave detailed instructions because-"

Mike's chuckle cuts him off. "Don't worry, I will. It'll be a walk in the park. Especially if you enlist some help."

Harvey swallows down his smirk, knowing exactly who the help was supposed to be, before he decides to veer off the subject of _her_.

"I don't think me and Louis babysitting together would be a good idea." he quips. "I also don't think he'd know how to look after something that doesn't purr."

"I think he'd surprise you." Mike hums along with his friend's mockery, deciding not to push it further.

"Oh, don't worry."Harvey mumbles into the phone, rolling his eyes as he swings in his chair. "That man surprises me everyday.."

"Thanks again, Harvey." Mike chuckles with gratitude.

"Don't mention it, Mike."

 **…**

Mike and Rachel pull to a stop outside Harvey's apartment bright and early the next morning. Both eternally grateful for the elevators, considering they were packing a bassinet, stroller, car-seat and a baby bag with all the essentials for the next twenty four hours.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? I feel bad not asking Donna." Rachel asks softly before Mike has the chance to knock, nursing their month old baby in her arms.

Mike turns to her, a warm reassurance in his face and now tone. "I promise you. He's gonna ask Donna for help the second we leave. He won't last two minutes with a baby on his own." he declares, looking down at their daughter.

"How do you know?" she presses, clearly not as enthusiastic as Mike was about leaving the child with a man as inexperienced with babies as Harvey was. Although, they both had to admit, he was surprisingly great with Edith.

"Because, it's Harvey," he smiles, "..and Donna."

Rachel takes in a deep breath then before exhaling, nodding in agreement with him. They both knew the pair had made up again - after Mike's last parent-trap - during an arduous and tiresome work week that left them little time for any romantically inclined relationship progress.

"He probably already has her speed dial ready." he chuckles lightly before lowering his brows. "I'm pretty sure he knows this is why I asked him instead of Donna, anyway."

"Because if we'd asked Donna, she'd be able to cope with the baby on her own." Rachel smirks, nodding along with phase two of his trap.

"Exactly."

Mike wraps his knuckles against the painted oak, both of them waiting as they hear Harvey stirring inside.

"Look who it is." he smiles smoothly as he opens the door. "Come in."

Harvey steps outside to help Mike with the baby items after Rachel enters the brightly lit hallway.

"Harvey, I can't thank you enough for this." she sighs in gratitude before looking down at the child as she turns to them. "I can't imagine having to haul her on a plane so young, especially for a funeral."

"Don't mention it Rach, you've got enough on your plate. I'd happily take her anytime you need." he nods, knowing full well he was never going to be available for babysitting 24/7.

Rachel presses her lips into an appreciative, yet still somewhat anxious, smile. This would be her first full day spent apart from her baby in ten months and she feels sick at that thought alone. No matter who she was leaving her with, naturally, it didn't feel right.

"Okay," Mike exhales, looking to his watch once all of Edith's belongings are carried inside, "we better get a move on if we don't wanna miss our flight."

When the time comes to hand over her daughter, Rachel realises she would happily miss her flight to keep her in her arms.

"You're gonna have to actually give her to me in order for me to do my job.." Harvey light-heartedly smirks at her, his kind eyes oozing with understanding, however.

The anxious brunette lets out a teary chuckle, kissing her daughter on the head as Mike follows suit afterwards. Another cuddle later and she's handing Edith over to her godfather before they're saying their goodbyes and leaving.

"Hey, Edie." Harvey whispers warmly, the corners of his eyes crinkling with mirth as he looks down at her. Her tiny digits already wrapped around his index, looking up at him with matching dark-hazel. "Looks like it's just you and me."

His eyes drift from the infant towards all of the items now resting in his hallway. First of all, he didn't even know how to set up the stroller, or correctly use a car-seat, or change a diaper, or any of the number of things he would be expected to do this weekend.

He lets out a defeated sigh, his hand already itching to reach for the phone in his pocket.

 _To reach for her._

He shakes his head, looking down at little Edie once more.

"We can do this," he nods, "it's just twenty-four hours.. right?"

His heart melts once she offers him a stretched smile, wriggling about after she does so. However, his face drops once she passes wind soon after and he realises that her smile was not a smile after all.

"Okay," he almost panics, his lip curling as his head bows back in an attempt to distance himself from any odors that may arise, yet still cradling her in his arms, "we're calling your aunt."

Harvey holds onto her even tighter now so he can free his right arm, shushing her as she starts to cry lazily. He holds down number one on his speed dial, looking at the time as he anxiously listens to the call connecting, realising that he lasted a whole three minutes without needing her.

 **…**

Harvey's sitting on his leather couch with Edie some twenty minutes later when he breaths out a sigh of relief at the set of familiarly light knocks wrapping on his front door.

"Come in!" he calls out from his seat, not wanting to move in case the baby awakens, his face wincing once she jumps in her sleep anyway. "Shit..sorry." he whispers, thankful she didn't open her eyes and start crying again.

Donna furrows her brows as she enters, realising she had never just let herself in while he was there before. She inwardly chuckles at the items laying in his hallway, seeming so out of place in his sleek bachelor pad. Once she makes her way down the hallway and the pair come into full view, she stops in her tracks, smirking when she sees why he didn't make an effort to get up for her this time.

"She has you whipped already." she teases in a low tone, landing her cream bag on the island before stalking towards the duo.

"I can't even argue that." he sighs in agreement before watching the redhead perch next to him, sitting on her right leg as her arm finds the back of the sofa behind him, positioning herself at the perfect angle to dote over the baby. Her left hand finds the top of Edith's head, her thumb gently stroking the soft strands of brunette that lay there.

"You know.. you could have just told me over the phone that you were too afraid to change her diaper when the time came." she says with a straight face, but a humorous tone, still only looking at the baby as she feels his gaze land on her.

"I'm not _afraid_.." he defends, dragging out the word as he lowers his tone, "I just don't know how..to do those things."

"And I do?" she quips back, her quirked brow reminding him that the last time she held a baby before Edith, was in 2007.

Harvey cocks his head at her, just a mere ten inches from his own as both their line of sights flicker towards lips when they need only be looking at eyes.

"We'll just have to figure it out together then."

His words catch her breath and she widens her eyes at him, exposing more of their whites.

"I guess we will." she exhales, a desperate nonchalance about her.

"You do realise you just agreed to stay the entire day?"

"Oh did I now?" Her tongue subconsciously plays with the inside of her cheek as she challenges him.

"Yep." he nods brazenly. "We have a verbal agreement. That shit is legally binding, you know?" Harvey lowers his chin at her, trying his best to keep a straight face but he never can when he's toying with her.

"Well I guess I'm stuck here all day then," she sighs before deepening her voice as she eyes him, her fingers fumbling with the cushion behind him, "because I don't know any good lawyers."

"Yeah, you just know a _great_ one." he fires back straight away, his eyes becoming all too black.

After a moment or two of shameless flirting, she watches as his stare falls to the small space between them and how her hand has fallen from the baby's head to where it was now settled against his bare skin, fingers pressing lightly against the veins in his forearm.

She follows his gaze moments later. Her smile drops, feigning a throat-clearing as she pushes herself off the sofa, heat now rising under her cheeks, somewhat embarrassed at how close she had let herself get already.

"You want coffee?" she mumbles on her way to the kitchen, missing his satisfied grin as she turns her back to him.

 **.**

"Donnaaa.." Harvey raises his voice in an increasing state of panic while she stirs their coffees in the kitchen.

"What is it?" She looks up, worrying her brows when she sees him squishing his face into something just shy of disgust, looking down at the baby sleeping against his chest.

"It's happening.." he murmurs, sounding like he was only breathing through his mouth now as he stands up. "Actually I think it already happened."

"Harvey." she chuckles, shaking her head with an eye-roll, the spoon clinking against the marble countertop as she abandons her coffee-making to assist him.

"I can't breathe."

"Calm down, it's just a-" Her face contorts into a mirror image of his own expression once she's standing right beside them, close enough for her nose to have an opinion on the matter now.

"You were saying?" he challenges her.

"Oh dear God, what do they feed her? Brussel sprouts!?"

Harvey passes Edith over to Donna before she has the chance to take her next breath.

"Oh, so I get landed with this?" she scolds up at him with an unimpressed glare. "I don't think so, mister. Go get the diapers. Team effort, remember?"

Harvey sighs before doing as he's told, soon returning with the baby bag, resting it on the couch as he rummages through its belonging. He pulls out a tiny diaper, the item looking so out of place in his hand, so she thinks at least as she desperately tries to hold down a grin.

"Okay munchkin," Donna chirps in her best baby-friendly voice, "I'm just gonna put you down here," she carefully lays a wakening Edith on the couch as she bends over, "and we can change this smelly diaper of yours."

"On the couch!?"

She looks back up at dramatically frowned brows, creased age lines and a gaped mouth.

"Well we can change her on the kitchen counter if you'd prefer?" she blinks up at him, ever sarcastic, now seated on the sofa alongside Edith.

Harvey clenches his jaw in defeat, relaxing his shoulders as he hands her the diaper.

"I'm gonna need more tools than that.." He hears her mumble, making smiley faces at her goddaughter as she unbuttons her onesie.

He looks at her like she's just grown a second head. She tuts before sighing at him and giving him his next orders.

 **.**

Donna lets herself back into the apartment an hour later. Using her key this time, for the first time since he gave it back to her. She had ventured out for thirty minutes to bring them back something to eat. Harvey's fridge being traditionally devoid of much food seeing as the man eats out of restaurants and take-outs more often than his own kitchen.

She sets the bag of groceries down on the counter, grinning at the return of the kangaroo before her. He looks up form the papers in his right hand, swaying by the fireplace with Edie who was once again snugly harnessed to his chest.

He replies to her silent questioning as she chuckles to herself, beginning to fill his refrigerator now.

"She wouldn't stop crying until I picked her up.. and I needed both my hands to look over this paperwork so.."

"I didn't say anything…" Donna hums with raised brows, placing the milk inside the shelf before turning back to the bag, chancing a glance towards him as her marmalade hair falls at either side of her face.

"You didn't have to, your face said it all."

"What..?" she defends with an overly innocent tone. "I'm just surprised you managed to safely get it on is all."

"Yeah well I did, and I know how to get it off now… so you won't be able to pretend it's stuck anymore." he informs her, still pretending to be unimpressed at her friendly form of revenge.

"Bummer.." she sighs, "that was fun."

"Fun?" he smirks, before looking down at the baby, exhaling with a defeated head tilt when he notices she's drooled on his shirt.

"Hmm…probably not for Edith though.." Donna teases as she makes way over to him with a cloth in hand, "having to be stuck to you for so long." She pops her eyes at him before wiping up the drool, giving Edith a quick tidy up before whispering towards her, "Try thirteen years, sister."

He shakes his head with faux disapproval until she meets his gaze and they each mirror a playful smile.

 **.**

Harvey watches as the redhead tries her best to soothe the crying baby in her arms. Gently shushing her, even giving her best attempt at a few nursery rhymes she remembered from her childhood. Quickly moving onto a new one every time her memory would betray her and she would lose the words.

He can't help but snicker at her rendition of 'Hush Little Baby'. Looking away as he smirks, hoping she wouldn't catch him. But of course hoping was pointless because the woman catches everything.

"What?" she frowns, glaring at him as she rocks the baby. "I don't see you coming up with any suggestions?"

He holds up his palms, brows raised, "I didn't say anything." He waits until she's looking back down at their godchild before his smirk is taking over once more. "You have a great voice." he teases. She looks back up at him, about to shake her head with a grin knowing he wasn't finished. "Best stick to acting though."

"Asshole." she tuts.

Donna sighs then, her brows wrinkled as she stares at the bawling baby with increasing concern. "I don't know what she wants. She's not hungry. She has a fresh diaper. She should be sleeping.."

She studies his face then, watching as he eyes the baby with a pondering look about him.

"I've an idea."

She stares as he turns his back towards her, wondering what light-bulb moment had hit him until he stops in front of his record player and she smiles. She threads into the middle of the living room, standing by the fireplace as the sound of his father's record spreads across the room, filling the emptiness of his pristine palace with a natural homeliness as the soft jazz bounces off of each of the walls.

The parenting pair glance down at Edie, her sharp whimpers and cries dying out as her eyes flutter open, veering off in the direction the music was coming from.

"It's working!" Donna whispers with excitement as he makes his way back over to them.

"I had a feeling it would." he beams softly, his voice almost undetectable beneath the relaxing beats of the old jazz.

She observes him silently, curiously even, as his hand caresses Edie's palm while she drifts into sleep. He detects her gaze and matches it, answering the question her inquisitive eyes were asking him.

"It worked like a charm for me and Marcus."

Donna inhales, quietly listening, happily smiling as he looms over her, his features coated in a layer of nostalgia as the corners of his eyes wrinkle with an alluring warmth.

"So my mom used to tell us anyway."

The redhead waits a moment, allowing him the time to reminisce before she pries.

"How is your mother?" she asks sweetly, knowing he would pick up on the real question being 'how are things between you an your mother?'

He twists his head towards her then, his hand falling back to his side before both find the inside of his pockets.

"Good." he replies, exhaling deeply as he nods in reflection. "We're slowly getting back on track."

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that, Harvey."

"Thanks to you." he finishes, eyes cautiously meeting hers.

"Harvey-"

"No," he interrupts, smiling adamantly, "I'm not letting you 'Harvey' me on this one. You convinced me that I needed to go see her, so I did. And thanks to you, we're finally on speaking terms again."

She lets the music mask the silence between them as she sends him a grateful nod. Lips pressed together and lashes blinking more frequently. The suddenness of his gratitude hitting her harder than she expected.

"I better put her down while she's asleep." she whispers, breaking their moment when it begins to feel too heavy.

He just nods, watching her pad towards his bedroom a moment later.

 **.**

Once the baby is settled in her bassinet, Donna reemerges from his room, carefully sliding over the door, leaving it open just a crack.

She sits on the sofa, watching him make way over to his beloved music station, his hand landing on the turntable, about to stop the record playing when he bows his head down in thought, removing his hand once again before swiftly turning back to face her as she eyes him suspiciously.

His hand is outstretched next, offering her his palm as he waltzes over, stopping just in front of her as he boyishly gazes down at her seated form.

"What do you say?"

She does everything she can to ignore the quickening pace of her heart, now excitedly beating as it begins pumping blood through her veins at an alarmingly increasing rate.

"Who the hell are you, and what have you done with Harvey Specter?"

"I'm the new and improved version."

She can't hide her grin to save her life, looking back and forth between his awaiting hand and his eager eyes before giving in and placing her palm over his as she bites her tongue, feeling the firm squeeze he gives as he pulls her up off the couch.

Her left hand covers the back of his shoulder while his right presses her lower spine. The giddy pair share chuckles and amused glances for the first while. Before they quickly get into it and her chin finds the courage to rest against his shoulder as they sway, growing closer as the music hums through their skin, so it feels. The instrumental track seemingly offering the perfect backdrop, the lack of lyrics fitting them perfectly as the music speaks to them instead.

With their bodies soon cemented together, chests slowly rising and falling together as they breath in perfect unison, he allows his thumb to stroke her hand, still clasped in his own. He feels her head inch closer to his as her breath warms his neck, her cheek grazing his jawline now before their dancing stills and she's hypnotizing him with darkened, widened eyes shaking against the dim light. Her line of vision falling opposite his lips thanks to her lack of heels. Her entire body is reminded of their kiss outside her door some weeks prior. His hands all over her flesh in a much different way than they were right now. She presses into him even more, feeling his bulge against her groin as her lids begin blinking more slowly, almost hooded with desire already, before she darts her eyes towards his, black as coal and overcome with arousal now too as he absorbs all of her features.

She nervously watches him open his mouth to speak - or maybe to kiss - when they both share the feeling of an untimely interruption vibrating between them.

Harvey sighs, silently telling her he'll ignore it if she wants.

"You should answer that," she whispers with a sweet grin, almost laughing at the timing of it all, "it's probably Mike and Rach." She releases her sweaty palm from his, hand sliding down his back but body remaining glued to his. "They'll wanna know how Edie is doing."

He waits awhile longer before letting go of her frame, clearing his throat and fishing out his phone as she inches backwards, folding her arms under her chest when she feels a sudden chill with his body no longer pressed against hers.

"Mike." he grins, trying to sound happier than he was. "Don't worry, we only lost her in the store for like five minutes tops.."

Donna sends him a gentle smack on the arm before stepping closer again. "Stop winding him up."

He obediently hands her the phone when she holds out her palm, their fingers lingering longer than necessary.

"Don't believe a word, Mike," Donna begins, glaring at Harvey with mischief as she decides to embarrass him, "he's just acting indifferent, he's been nothing but fatherly all day."

He can't hear what the young man replies with, making him somewhat self-conscious as he watches her chuckling over the phone, both of them laughing at him no doubt.

"Can you put Rachel on so I can put her at ease?" Donna asks, knowing her friend would be understandably wracked with worry.

Harvey just smiles at her then, watching as she chats to her friend, sending him sweet glances in response as they share a silent conversation themselves.

 **.**

The exhausted pair sink back into the couch side-by-side, having just gotten off the phone from Mike and Rachel. The pair eager to find out if Donna had been enlisted for help, two of them sounding noticeably satisfied when she took over the call.

It was almost nine o'clock now and both Harvey and Donna were more than fatigued after spending the last twelve hours tending to the baby's every need.

Turning his head towards her, he gives her a crooked smile. "You know they parent-trapped us, right?"

"What?" she chuckles somewhat nervously, not having expected the question at all.

"Mike and Rachel," he elaborates, "they asked me to babysit knowing I'd need your help. Whereas if they just asked _you_..the more logical option by the way-"

"I would have kicked ass and not have needed your help whatsoever." she finishes all too confidently.

"Exactly."

"We should get them back.."

"Why?" he frowns before cracking his lips with a cheeky smile. "I'm glad they did it."

Donna's playful expression sobers as his eyes somber, stirring up every single feeling she had harboured deep inside, for him, over their many years together.

Harvey exhales as his back hits the couch alongside her own. "I need a drink."

"Me too." she nods, her eyes falling shut as she sighs, her tongue craving his liquor -and his lips.

He turns his neck to look at her, she feels his gaze and does the same as she's met with an amusingly suggestive expression.

"We can't drink while we're babysitting, Harvey." she scolds before her eyes veer off in thought and she's looking back at him seconds later. "Can we?"

"One won't hurt."

She gives him the nod and he's up, soon pouring them both a healthy portion of his finest scotch from the decanter on a nearby table. He returns to the couch, handing her glass to her before he's relaxing back by her side as she repositions herself, closer this time.

She's sitting on the backs of both legs now, her knees facing towards him, leaning sideways against the sofa, her elbow on the back and left hand supporting her head.

The perfect position for gazing lovingly at someone.

He takes his first mouthful, as does she. Both of them wincing at the first taste after they swallow down the amber poison now burning its way down their throats, quickly warming the lining of their stomachs.

There's a moment of comfortable silence before she hears the thoughts rolling around in his head as he stares blankly into his own glass. She knows he's going to come out with something. Something she doesn't want to get into over babysitting.

He inhales a deep breath, chin lowering as he raises the glass to his lips again, stopping just before he takes a drink.

"So..you got any plans tonight?"

She stares at his side-profile, noticing how he wasn't looking directly at her. "Plans? At this time?"

He feels safe enough to look at her now that she hadn't responded with a ' _Harvey..'_

"If you count watching Game of Thrones and passing out before eleven _plans,_ then yeah, I've got plans." she chuckles at him, eyes lighting up as she takes another swig of scotch.

He mirrors her light laughter before the room is silent again. Only letting the quiet set in for a few seconds before he's looking into her eyes. Now much dimmer in the low light, as only the electric fire helps keep the darkness at bay.

"Stay." he whispers warmly, somewhat posing it as a question.

Donna's somewhat taken aback, but yet not overly surprised at the same time.

And the warning he was dreading comes next.

"Harvey.."

"What? You can take my bed and stay in with Edie." He briefly glances towards his room behind them where the baby was sleeping in her cot, suddenly feeling the need to look away from her and her intense stare. "And I'll take the couch." Donna sends him a questionable glare, but finds herself actually contemplating it. "Come on, Donna. It beats travelling home when you're this tired."

"I don't even have any spare clothes, Harvey." She waves her hand in the air before using it to support her head once more, taking another sip as she waits for him to respond.

"I can give you a t-shirt and sweats."

She lets out a nervous laughter, the thought of wearing his clothes feeling so strange and so appealing at the same time.

"Or my shirt." he grins up at her, still relaxed into the leather, just a couple of inches lower than her. She pokes her left eyebrow upwards then, urging him to calm down a bit. "You can have free rein over my entire wardrobe, Donna. What's mine is yours." he teases, conveniently raising the glass to his lips in a failed attempt to hide his smug smirk from her. The liquor giving him more courage, no doubt.

"Very funny.. But don't act like doesn't benefit you if I stay." She lightly taps his shoulder, which she was lightly pressed against, as she calls him out.

He actually wasn't thinking of needing her assistance. He just wanted her to stay. The help was just a bonus.

"Donna-"

She finds herself unnerved at how much she wanted to say yes, so she interjects. "Harvey, it's very sweet of you.. but I should go."

"Why?"

Neither fail to notice how the tables have turned from that night in her apartment almost two years ago now.

"Why, what?" she whispers, purely just stalling for time.

"You said _should_. Not want."

His solemn stare makes her feel exposed, causing her to sit up a bit straighter. "Harv-"

"Why _should_ you go, Donna?"

"We both know why, Harvey."

"Because you'll know we'll talk? And you don't wanna talk? Ever." he scoffs, facing away to shake his head as he takes a drink.

"That's rich coming from you."

And just like that, the air they shared becomes bitterly thick and tense. Their sweet moments all too often turning sour. Purely down to the abundance of unresolved feelings.

"Yes, Donna, I get it. I used to be the one to push you away. But I've _evolved."_ She would have let out a laugh had he not sounded so serious. "And you seem to have.." he rests his glass on his lap again before looking her straight in the eye, " _devolved_."

"Excuse me?" she frowns, sitting up as her eyes burn through him.

"Suddenly being the one _not_ to wanna talk about everything." he explains matter-of-factly.

"You think I don't wanna be able to talk about this with you?" she defends.

"So why don't you!?" Harvey demands, raising his voice an notch now.

"Because it kills me!" she spits back, whispering in an angered tone, not wanting to wake the baby. "Thinking about it, it hurts. I'd rather we just move on, but I know _you're_ not gonna do that.."

"No. I'm not." he whispers, stubbornly agreeing as he falls back against the couch.

She lets out a defeated sigh, lightly shaking her head before swallowing back another mouthful of liquor.

"Because.." he starts again, softer this time, unable to look her in the eye yet, "I want what we had.. outside your apartment two weeks ago, to be the start of something completely new. Fresh slate. With none of this shit hanging over our heads, threatening to crush us a few weeks down the line."

He sets his now empty glass down on the coffee table in front of them, glancing at the cactus before he turns to face her.

"I know I hurt you. The things I said. And did. And that I was the one less willing to open up about us up on that rooftop. But that's when everything was still so raw, and I was still with _her_.."

" _Her.."_ she scoffs, "can't even say her name now?"

"Paula!" he shouts, for the first time since they started talking about it.

Donna looks towards his room, her glowering eyes telling him to keep it down.

"There, I said it. I should never have been with her." he murmurs. "But you said you wanted more and it scared the shit out of me. So I took myself out of the equation. Out of what could possibly be your _more_. Because the thought of hurting you, or losing you.. it petrified me. It always has." he breathes out, quickly losing the run of himself, yet feeling lighter with every word that fell out of his mouth.

He waits until she's looking into his eyes before he continues.

"You're the only person in my life that I can't live without, Donna." Harvey murmurs in that gentle voice only she gets to hear. "But I ended up losing you afterwards anyway.." he whispers hoarsely.

The startled redhead slowly sits up in her chair, eyes scanning his every feature, mostly his lips now. His words seem to comfort her more than terrify her, much to her own surprise. She feels relieved.

And just like that, they were back to sweet smiles and shameless staring.

"You've never lost me, Harvey." Their heavy eye contact overwhelms her then and she feels the need to break the mood with some light humour. "You may have misplaced me for awhile, " she lowers her gaze at him, "but you didn't _lose_ me."

He offers her a small, appreciative nod next as they become lost in the moment they willingly allow themselves to fall into.

"Donna.." He catches her free hand in his after he sits back up, turning his body towards hers. "What do you want here? Because I know what I want. And I know _exactly_ how I see you fitting into my future. But I don't have a clue how, or where, you see me in yours."

"I.." Donna stutters, feeling the most vulnerable she ever has in her forty odd years. She finds most words abandoning her now, jumping ship and drowning in his honesty, his maturity. Before her tongue eventually scrambles to release a few remaining ones as she simply responds with, "All I see is _you_."

Neither have any say in the inevitable powers that be, pulling them closer with each breath until both their pupils are dilated to pure onyx and his lips are teasing hers. Their flesh just lightly tickling under the minuscule touch before either dared take the next plunge.

But neither get the chance. Both awakened from their aroused daze with the beginnings of Edith stirring from her sleep, lightly crying out for someone's attention.

Harvey sighs, smiling as he rests his forehead against hers.

"I'll get her." Donna whispers, staring into his eyes before she pushes herself off the couch, lightly clearing her throat as she makes her way into the bedroom, her skin burning with desire.

 **.**

Twenty minutes go by and Donna still hasn't emerged from the room. Harvey lets out a deep breath, removing himself from the couch as he decides to check on the pair.

He leans against the door frame moments later, eyes beaming with adoration as they rest on the peaceful sight before him. Donna, laying eyes closed on the far side of his bed, Edith snoozing beside her, comfortably bordered by his pillows on either side of her.

Before he can make himself leave, he's being pulled towards her once again, edging over to the bed, quietly sitting on the opposite side and taking in the view before him.

Her eyes flutter open, his quiet shuffling still enough to wake her from her early state of sleep as she smiles.

"She wasn't settling in her own bed, so.." she whispers, gently stretching, ensuring not to wake the baby beside her.

"That's fine." he smirks, pulling up his legs so he's laying down beside them now. "I've got her.. if you still wanna get going."

She can tell he still wants her to stay, but once again, he's putting what he thinks she wants in terms of their relationship progress before what he wants, deciding not to push her further.

Donna smiles, her darkened eyes glistening up at him in the soft light. She takes a deep breath inwards, her thumb subconsciously caressing the baby's hand as she glimpses down at her.

"You better have comfortable sweats."

They share a sweet glance before Harvey nestles in further, his hand soon finding hers, lightly resting over Edith's stomach now too as his palm offers them both a comforting warmth.

"Only the best for you." he teases, watching her drift off again.

 **.**

Donna stirs from her sleep some thirty minutes later, suddenly feeling an emptiness in the bed with her. As her eyes drift open, she sees the back of his frame, now gently placing the sleeping baby into her crib. She stays quiet, smirking to herself while she watches his smile broaden with pride as he looks down over the infant.

"Suits you." she says softly after another moment or two of secret admiration.

"What does?" he quizzes, gawking back at her with creased brows.

"Happiness."

He lets his eyes drift back to the baby in thought. She isn't wrong. He _is_ happy. Just not fully there yet. Not until he has her.

"I left some spare clothes on the bed, I'm gonna take the couch." He scratches the back of his neck, avoiding much eye contact as he makes his way over to the door.

"That won't be necessary." she states, sitting up straight now, stretching out her stiffened muscles.

"What do you mean?" he murmurs, frowning in disappointment. "Change your mind about staying?"

"No," she chuckles softly, "but this bed is big enough for _neither_ of us to have to take the couch."

She swallows a sudden lump in her throat after she says it, a sweet, nervous smile pressing her lips together.

He cocks his head gently, wrongly taking her anxious cues as sign of her not wanting to share a bed, when really it was all she found herself wanting.

"Donna-"

"Harvey." she asserts reassuringly, not needing to say anything further on the matter as her eyes do all the talking. "I'm gonna go get changed." she yawns, gathering up the clothes he left on the end of the mattress for her. "Don't let the bed get cold while I'm gone."

She darts an eyebrow upwards as she walks towards him, confidently locking eyes with him until she passes him.

Harvey widens his eyes, turning his head over his shoulder to watch her walk off into his en-suite, simply unable to hide his contentment at the thought of sharing a bed with her. Even though he knew nothing would happen with a baby in the room, he was still excited at any chance to be close to her these days.

Donna emerges from the bathroom some five minutes later, her body loosely draped in one of his t-shirts and baggy sweat pants. Taking her casual look to a whole other level.

"Stop grinning so much!" she scolds, tip-toeing over to her side of the bed, quickly ducking under the covers, suddenly bashful at how much he was eyeing her in her new outfit.

"Like you stopped grinning when you saw me in the baby carrier?" he jokes. "Oh wait.. no, you didn't."

"That was different." she defends, shuffling about as she fixes her pillows, more than likely just for something to do to avoid the nerves.

"How so?" He turns his torso towards her now, hand on the side of his head as it supports his weight, his chocolate eyes quizzing her in the soft light.

"Because…" she mumbles, blinking her eyes as she tries to think of a good enough reason. She lays down next, turning on her side to face him too. "I was smiling at you because of how funny you looked."

He narrows his eyes at her next, inching ever so slightly closer as a cheekiness devours his features.

"And I'm smiling at you because..?"

"You know why."

His tongue pokes out at her accusation before he's biting down on his bottom lip in an attempt to regain some control of his most suitable poker faces, but he never can with her. Especially not when there's flirting involved.

"Because of how cute you look?" he toys.

"Cute?"

"Hot. Sexy. Irresistible." he rattles off, hiding any fears behind a smug grin.

"Harvey!" Donna whacks his shoulder with the back of her hand, unable to hide her flattered smile as she chuckles.

"What? Can't a guy compliment the godmother of his godchild every now and then?"

She feels his feet moving towards her own under the covers. She doesn't move away. Smirking up at him like a loved-up teenager until she feels his skin brush off hers. Warming her up once again.

"Just so you know..I don't think the sky has ever looked as blue as when it's wearing an oversized t-shirt and sweats."

His comment impresses her, quickens her heartbeat even, but she won't overly show it.

"You're being ridiculous!" she reprimands, the whites of her eyes scolding him while the smile threatening her lips contradicts her entire demeanor as she is reminded of their last date.

"You're being _coy_."

The redhead tuts at his bluntness - with giddiness nonetheless - before she rolls her eyes and turns her back to him, switching off her bedside lamp, leaving them in complete darkness. Almost as if she didn't trust herself to stay facing towards him.

"Goodnight, Harvey."

He blindly smiles at her awhile before settling his head onto his pillow.

"Good night, Donna." he whispers back.

The redhead soon finds herself feeling restless. Sighing and stirring for the next few minutes as she tries to fall asleep but her brain is too wired, preventing her eyes from becoming heavy.

"You okay there?" His breath reaches the hairs on the back of her neck, having them stand on end. Not helping matters one bit.

"Just tryna get comfortable."

"Homesick?" he teases.

She expels a laugh through her nostrils, turning her head towards the ceiling, her body remaining rigid and faced away.

"No." Her tone tells him that this is right where she wanted to be.

All that fills the air between them next is heavy breathing. Until his side of the sheets are rustling as he smoothly inches in to close the foot gap between them.

Her breath catches upon hearing his movements. And ceases altogether when his strong, comforting arm is gently resting over her frame.

He waits for her response, and as her body relaxes into his embrace, his right hand locks with her own. His thumb soon caressing her skin just as their feet become reacquainted with one another, again.

He pulls himself even closer then, until their bodies are touching. His left arm falls onto the pillow above her, and straight away she's lifting up her head, allowing him to slip his arm under her crown as she lays over his bicep.

It's not until his right leg is comfortably jutted in between both of hers that they stop moving about. Now completely spooning, and as close as they could possibly be without actually facing each other.

No words are shared. Just simultaneous breathing. Relaxation and ease, as they both begin to drift into sleep. Probably quicker than either of them have in almost six months. If not more.

She's almost fully succumb to a dream-like state when she feels his lips tentatively press against the crook of her neck. Kissing her exposed flesh. Only briefly, yet the touch lingers long after his head is resting against his pillow again.

"Sweet dreams." he whispers, nuzzling his head towards her as he tightens his grip around her waist.

 **.**

The redhead wakes in the middle of the night, hearing the beginnings of Edith crying out as she demands to be fed. When her eyes crack open she realises she's lying on his chest, having rolled around in her sleep, his arms still tightly wrapped around her body.

She reluctantly removes herself from his hold, somehow managing not to wake him in the process as she gets up to tend to the baby.

Taking her out of her cot, she rocks her in her arms, gently shushing her before trailing out to the kitchen to make up a fresh bottle.

When the baby is fed and sleeping in her cot again, Donna makes her way back to bed. Her eyes almost closing over with sleep-deprivation at this point. She doesn't even have to think twice about returning to the exact same position she was in before Edith woke her. Her arm sliding over his abdomen, gripping him under his ribs as she nestles into him once more. Falling asleep once again when his arms are subconsciously hugging her frame.

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

* * *

 **Okay, I had to leave it there but part two is coming soon and will take place the next day!**

 **Thanks for reading, would love to hear your thoughts x**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys!**

 **So I hope part II satisifies your Darvey needs.. This one kept running away on me, hence the length. Thanks so much for all the lovely feedback, it's so helpful when writing!  
Also, a chapter this size is a b*tch to proofread..but I did my best haha.**

 **(*slight spoiler* I have marked "..." where the M-rated trash begins, for those of you who want to end it there!)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _The Sitters_

 _(Part II)_

The redhead rises from her sleep as the morning light teases its way through the translucent cream curtains in his bedroom. Her eyes still closed, she half-consciously slides her hand over the mattress, waking up further when she finds it empty and cold. Just like she would back home.

"Good morning, sleepyhead."

She turns her head towards his welcome voice coming from the foot of the bed. With a simultaneous stretch and yawn she's sitting up, rubbing her eyes in a lazy attempt to come alive faster. She feels strange waking in front of him. Less self-conscious than she thought she would feel. But strange nonetheless. The last time they had shared a bed - her bed - she had woken first, giving herself time to look fresh-faced. Now, her hair was untamed, her eyes puffy and face without any of the makeup she uses as a shield. The vibrant morning light not feeling as generous with age as the night had been.

He didn't notice. Nor did he care. With or without her mask, she was the most alluring thing he'd ever seen. But he always saw her beauty under her mascara and eyeshadow anyway. Almost as if she wasn't wearing any of it, ever. He sometimes found himself resenting her foundation for lightly coating her freckles. So this was a rare treat for him. One he could only hope someday soon, would no longer be rare.

"Or should I say bedhead?" His eyes land on her frizzed layers of golden-orange.

"Good morning.." She locks warning-eyes on him. His sleepy form sat on the end of the mattress, still in his bed clothes, feeding Edie her bottle with a light-yellow baby bib draped over his left shoulder.

"Sleep well?" he asks, glancing at her before concentrating on the baby again.

A night full of cuddling and spooning plays on her memory then. She smiles at him the way she always does when he's not looking.

"I did." She massages the side of her neck, probably knotted from the way she was lying on him all night. "I didn't hear her wake up."

"I was awake when she started stirring, so I got up before she could wake her _aunt Donna._ " he informs, projecting his words to Edie in a baby-friendly voice that knots _aunt Donna's_ stomach.

The thought of him being awake before her, just lying with her as she sleeps, is enough to have her resorting to her ever-reliable humorously deflecting ways at seven in the morning.

"Morning feeds, huh? How paternal of you." she mocks, her eyes smirking at him before she throws the duvet off her legs and scooches down to sit herself beside him, thighs grazing. "Didn't think you'd be able to make a bottle all by yourself.."

He sends her a faux frown, dropping his lip before he speaks. "I'll have you know, not only was I able to make it..but I did so with _ease_." Donna simply glares at him until he reluctantly retracts. "Mike and Rachel left _very_ detailed instructions..I would have failed miserably otherwise."

"Probably in case their genius plan backfired and you didn't ask me to help you babysit." Her soft giggles feel as though they're housed in his own heart once he hears them. He knows he doesn't get to hear them enough anymore. He's reminded of their early days. When things between them were so light and fun -and promising. Then he realises that's where they were at now, once again chancing fate and daring themselves - and one another - to fall completely.

Harvey looks at her then as she peers over him, her drowsy eyes smiling down on Edith, her left shoulder kissing his without any tentativeness whatsoever.

"Yeah, their plan was never gonna backfire." he states, whispering as he lightly shakes his head, looking at her instead of the baby he was feeding.

Donna's grin reflects in his distended pupils, smirking widely before she removes the bib from his shoulder, still holding his stare, then looking down to wipe up the traces of milk that were dribbling down the baby's face.

"Good to know."

 **.**

Thanks to a messy morning feed, and a failed, but commendable attempt at a solo diaper change from Harvey, Donna decides they should give Edith a bath before handing her back to her parents in a few hours.

She more than happily takes advantage of him being the one holding Edie and sends him a few playful splashes of the shower head, drenching his t-shirt in the process.

"Donna!" he growls, squinting as he shakes the water from his face, giving in to his own amusement when her hearty chuckle captures his heart for the second time that morning. "Oh, don't think I won't get you back when my hands are free." he says all too suggestively, his tone of voice taking immediate effect on her current state of arousal.

"Oh yeah?" Donna plays along, glancing up at him as she gently cleans the baby. "And what are you gonna do with those free hands?"

"Oh you'll see."

His seductive tone catches her attention even more so now and she's soon trapped under his transfixing gaze. Both smirking like idiots, eyes switching back and forth between one another's lascivious lips and darkening stares.

She scoffs at their shared ridiculousness then, splashing him once more to break the tension.

"Donna!" he laughs. "You're supposed to be wetting the baby, not me!" They both engage in a knowing glance next, biting their tongues in a bid to hold back any carnal comments.

Donna switches off the shower then, wrapping the baby in a towel as she takes her from Harvey. He immediately tugs at the end of his cotton shirt, pulling the material up to his face as he dabs his forehead and cheeks, ridding his skin of the droplets resting there because of her. Her eyes catch his chiseled abs and toned torso for the first time in twelve years. But it feels more like twenty now as the cruel glimpse reminds her just how long it's been since her fingers raked over that very flesh. Since her tongue tasted the cream she marked his body with.

He removes the fabric from his face. Too quickly it seems, when he catches her looking away, focusing her attention back to their goddaughter as she clears her throat.

"You'll catch pneumonia in that." she nods towards his dampened clothing in an overly nonchalant manner.

"If you want me to take it off, just say."

She tilts her head at him. The left side of her mouth bending into an unimpressed - but not unamused - smirk. "We both know I wouldn't need to ask you to strip for me."

"Are you referring to the past, or the future?" He catches her off guard. She was just speaking in a general sense, but now he has her thinking of the other time and their next time, all at the one time. It all becomes too much for her brain and once he steps closer it becomes too much for other parts too. "Because both would be correct."

She swallows as her eyes flicker to his downcast pair. Engulfing her entire body even though he only has eyes on her pupils -which were overly telling. She hesitates in speech and action. Wondering what his intentions were, standing this close to her, speaking in a sultry tone. He can tell she's becoming more inwardly flustered the longer it goes on so he nods to the door behind her, reminding her she was blocking it.

"Oh," She steps out of his way, and jumps out of her aroused daze.

When she turns to utter something witty - feeling as though she let him get the better of her too easily - her stare falls on his bare back as he tosses his soiled shirt into the laundry basket before stepping towards the chest of drawers to his left. She looks away before he has the chance to catch her this time.

"So, what do you wanna do this morning?" she calls out from the bathroom, eyes uncontrollably flickering to the mirror before her as she peeks at him through that instead. Her body swaying while she continues drying off the newborn.

 _You,_ his mind answers.

"Uhh, I was thinking we could just go for coffee and then see what happens." Her eyes rake over the muscles stretching and bulging out of his back and shoulders as he stretches to pull the fresh shirt over himself. He turns back to her to finish, leaning in the doorway as she faces him again. "Not much places to take a month-old baby around here."

" _Go with the flow_ it is then." She pops her eyes at him, wordlessly handing him the infant before she turns to clean up the mess she made inside the bathroom.

 **.**

When the redhead returns to the living room, she finds Harvey swaying with the baby, having dressed her in an eye-catching shade of pink that has her tilting her head as she pads towards them, barefoot and dressed in yesterday's clothes again.

He turns to face her when he hears her soft footsteps against the wood flooring. Donna's eyes land on the onesie, sending her lips curling upwards, her cheeks rising with pure adoration.

' _I know I'm awesome. I take after my Godmother.'_

"Please tell me you didn't have that custom-made?" she giggles, her left brow arching with intrigue.

"Noo.." he grumbles back before smiling, "I got it in that baby boutique we were at a couple months back."

Donna raises her chin, her lip lowering as she makes the connection. "Ohhh, you mean the one you followed me into?"

"I didn't _follow_ you in…"

"Oh yeah, sorry Pink Panther, you _crept_.."

"..I just happened to see you there." he continues, ignoring her signature mocking ways.

"When you were stalking me through the window?"

"I'm starting to think I should have bought a onesie with a different adjective on it.."

She can't help but snicker at his self-pitying ways, and his stiffening frown now that she wasn't immediately singing his praises. "And what word do you have in mind?"

"Ungrateful." he jokes, even though he partially meant it.

Donna steps closer, biting her lip as she smiles, trying her best not to laugh at his sulky behaviour. She naturally rests her left hand on his bicep, her other hand clasping Edith's tiny digits. Both looking down at their goddaughter sporting her best ' _my godfather desperately wants to impress my godmother'_ outfit. As her thumb strokes his arm, she looks up at him with kind eyes. "It's adorable, Harvey. I love it."

He's like a child then, face lighting up like a Christmas Tree after receiving the attention he desired, from the only person he ever wants - and perhaps needs - it from.

 **.**

Donna pushes the stroller back inside as he holds his door open, before parking it beside the kitchen island. She was going to head straight home after their diner visit, but with Ray on his day-off they had walked there, and she knew he would feel somewhat uncomfortable steering a baby back through the busy streets alone.

Harvey gently plucks his goddaughter out of her stroller when he catches her wakening. He had already started a habit of giving in to her winging before she could even have the chance to bawl.

"Okay, you should be fine on your own. Mike and Rachel will be back in a couple of hours. Remember, if you need me, just call." She points while looking back at him as she walks, knowing he would follow her, ceasing movements with her hand on the door handle once she reaches it.

"You sure you can't stay?" he all but pleads, hoping Donna would ditch her morning plans for them. For him.

"Harvey, stop panicking. You're more than capable of minding her on your own for the rest of the morning." she reassures in her calmest tone, eager to get home, shower and change into fresh clothes.

He sighs, not liking how much of his dignity he was losing standing there begging her like this. "Fine. But please, have your phone on you at all times."

"Of course."

Donna slings her Dior handbag over her shoulder. She gives Edith a kiss on the forehead, her hand resting on his forearm for support as she leans in, looking up at him afterwards. A sudden awkwardness blanketing over them as neither know how they should appropriately say goodbye.

 _A kiss on the cheek? A hug? Neither?_

She finds herself choosing the latter when he takes too long to make the move. Pressing her lips into a semi-awkward smile as both hands clench around the straps of her bag.

"See you at work tomorrow."

"Yeah, see you." he nods back, knitting his brows into confusion as he watches her walk out the door, more perplexed than ever about the progression of their _relationship._

Harvey looks down at Edie after he shuts the door, as if in hope of some advice.

"Don't look at me like that.." he mumbles, displeased with himself for letting her leave without so much as a hug, "things are complicated."

 **.**

An hour passes by and Donna's just about to run herself a long, much deserved bath when the very thought is interrupted by knuckles wrapping against her front door.

 _His knuckles. His knock. His neediness._

She checks the time, thinking it was still a bit too early for Mike and Rachel to have already arrived back in the city _and_ collected Edith too. It wasn't even noon yet.

"I'm coming, I'm coming.." she mutters when his second set of knocks carry through her hallway in a more desperate manner.

The redhead frowns, having opened the door to not one, but two people. The very two people she left at Harvey's apartment only an hour ago.

Edith is strapped in her car-seat, wrapped snugly in her favourite blanket. Harvey's awkwardly holding the handles of her wicker bassinet and baby carrier in his other hand, with the baby bag hanging over that shoulder. For a man who never even carried so much as a briefcase in all his years as a lawyer, this was a truly unexpected sight, to say the least.

She tilts her head, the subtle movement asking her question for her.

"Mike and Rachel called an hour after you left. Their flight got canceled. They won't be back until this evening."

Donna lets out a breath, smirking at the sheer panic in his eyes. "Come in." she gestures in a calm voice designed to put him at ease, stepping aside to let them pass her before she closes over the door with an amused grin.

 **.**

"Edie missed you." he informs her while sitting himself and Edith down on the couch moments later, breathing out a sigh of relief as he does so.

" _Edie,_ huh?" Donna challenges without hesitation as she eyes him on her way over.

"Yes." His answer convinces neither of them.

"It's been just over an hour, Harvey. I'm pretty certain she hasn't even noticed that I left."

"I'm serious. She's been crankier." He looks down at her resting on his lap as he caresses her feet. "I've done everything. Changed her, fed her..I played dad's record. I even tried some of your god awful nursery rhymes. But she still won't stop making noises."

"Noises?" she quizzes, trying not to laugh at him.

"Listen."

The pair fall silent as Donna sits herself down beside him and the baby. She bites her tongue next, holding back a cackle when she hears what he's referring to.

"Harvey!" she chuckles when she can no longer suppress it, his bewildered frown becoming too much to ignore any longer. "She's just _cooing!"_

"Cooing? What is she..a pigeon or something?"

"It's what babies do! Seeing as they can't talk.." Donna educates him.

"Is it not a bit early for that?"

"A little.. but she's _our_ godchild.. of course she's gonna be a genius!" She inches closer on the couch as she peers over the baby, beaming with pride.

Harvey glances down at the chatty newborn once more, suddenly looking more amazed than ever. "Can you say _Donn-ah?_ Donnn-ahh."

The _name in question_ stares at him in bemusement, wondering had he just lost every one of his marbles.

He senses her gaze then, returning the eye contact. "What?" he glowers lightly, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "I read online that they pick up 'd' sounds the quickest."

Donna chooses to ignore the 'I read' part of his admission, knowing she wouldn't make it to her tub anytime soon if she start teasing him over that. "She's one month old, Harvey."

"And…a genius. Like her godfather." One raised brow and the cock of her head in his direction has him adding, "And godmother."

She hums with a narrow-eyed smile then, taking another moment to stare at the baby before she stands up again. "Well, I'm going to take a long bath. You will be alright without me for thirty minutes, won't you?" she teases, eliciting an eye-roll from him in response. "Try not to burn my apartment down while I'm gone."

"If you can remember to get out of the tub before your fingers start to wrinkle." he bites back with a smirk, boyishly challenging her maturity now too.

When she glances back, her deathly stare has him wondering if she could see right through his skull as images of her naked body flood his brain.

"How I bathe is none of your concern."

Harvey almost chokes on her words before watching her saunter off to her bedroom with a satisfied stride.

"Doesn't stop me from thinking about it." he mutters to himself when she has completely disappeared, sinking back into the couch before a mumbling Edith has his attention again. "Don't tell her I said that."

 **.**

The relaxing redhead finds herself wondering if he had actually gone and burned her place down when she's no more than twenty minutes into her bath and her name is being frantically called from the living room.

"Donna!" she hears. "Come here, quick!"

With a sudden state of panic she propels herself out of the warm tub. Water and bubbles spilling out and smacking onto the tiles as she wraps the first towel in sight around her wet, naked frame. She almost slips on the marble amid her frenzy, before running through the hallway and into her living room.

"What happened!? Is she okay?" she breathes out, pulling to a sudden stop right in front of a standing Harvey. Her wide eyes full of fear which gradually turn to confusion as she examines Edith, happily resting against his chest. When she finally looks at him, that confusion turns to awkwardness. Finding his deep eyes trained on her dripping skin, incredibly exposed in the skimpy towel that would have been more suitable to wrap her hair in -not her body.

Harvey swallows back a timely lump in his throat, biting his lip so hard he thinks it might bleed. He finds it physically impossible to drag his eyes away from her freckles, glistening with a moist layer of water, some droplets forming over the ones on her shoulders, chest and arms. He hasn't seen this much of her since _the other time_. He feels a tightening in his groin the more he looks at her. But he's at a loss for words, unable to even remember why he called her out in the first place. Especially when his eyes fall on her hair, pinned back in a messy bun, moistened strands of red curls loosely resting on her shoulder and back, having fallen out of place.

 _A picture-perfect image of imperfection,_ he reckons. A timeless beauty. As if age were afraid of her. Yet kindly spoiling her all the same.

"Earth to Harvey?" she murmurs, eyes bulging with unease still.

"What..?" Is all he can muster when he finally drags his eyes up to hers, face as blank as his mind.

"What did you call me out here for? I thought something had happened!"

"Uhm…yeah, it did," he stutters, focusing all of his energy on _not_ staring at her breasts. "She said 'Donn'!"

"What..?" she bemuses, letting out a confused laugh, baffled at the absurdity of it all. "Harvey, she's a newborn! She did _not_ say my name."

"Well she said _something_.." Harvey glances back down at the baby in his arms when he realises how much he was staring.

Donna shakes her head, grinning at the lovable idiot before her. He mirrors her expression when he looks back up, both of them lost in each other's eyes before his pair slip up and ever so briefly drop to the upper valley of her breasts.

She notices straight away, her left hand rising to secure the towel around her, inwardly smirking at the hunger in his eyes.

"I better go get dressed." she whispers after a moment longer, her hand leaving Edie's dangling feet, fingers briefly lingering against his sweater before she drops her arm back to her side.

He reluctantly nods, waiting until she's pacing back through the living room before he mutters to himself. "I'm not complaining."

"What was that?" She turns to face him, eyes blinking, her tongue teasing her lips as she wonders if she heard him right.

"Nothing," Harvey responds after she catches him this time, a foreign innocence about him, "I was just talking to Edie."

"Hmm, I'll bet." she mumbles, gliding back into her bathroom as he takes in the view from behind. Her long silky legs showing more thigh than he's seen since his mouth was in between them over a decade ago, in this very apartment.

 **.**

After Harvey taking his 'two favourite girls' out for a late lunch, and an impromptu stroll around the block to get Edith back to sleep, the trio are back at no. 206, now more fatigued than ever.

Donna removes the carrier from her frame, with the help of Harvey, and carefully sets the snoozing baby down in the bassinet now sitting in the middle of her living room, before she collapses onto her couch with a dramatic sigh. "How do people do this everyday?"

"Do what?" he asks, passing her by and making way to the kitchen to brew them some coffee.

"Parenting." she clarifies. "Don't get me wrong, I love spending time with her. But I'm exhausted."

Harvey chuckles to himself when he's out of sight. "That's because you're not used to it." he calls back to her as he boils the water.

"I don't know how anyone gets used to it.."

Harvey glances around for their secret ingredient. "Where do you keep the-"

"Left cabinet, top shelf." she calls out, lightly enough not to wake the baby.

He returns minutes later, two cups of steaming coffee in hand. Offering one to an overly grateful redhead.

"Thank you." she sighs with relief, rolling her eyes to heaven while she swallows her first mouthful, that famous hint of vanilla consuming her taste buds afterwards. "I needed this."

She finds him oddly quiet next. Perched beside her as he sips his own cup, staring into space. She just watches him, waiting for him to speak, knowing he was going to say what was on his mind any second now.

"I imagine you'd get used to it if it was your own kid." he murmurs softly, dragging his eyes to meet hers once he says it.

She's not sure how to respond, having never discussed something like this with him - or anyone for that matter - so she chooses humour, unsurprisingly.

"Because you'd have no choice!" she laughs, desperate to keep the air light and breezy between them.

"So you're saying you wouldn't want kids some day then?"

Donna mildly frowns, swearing she could detect an ounce of disappointment in his tone as the wind takes a turn.

"No…" she smiles with heightened brows, "I'm just saying it's exhausting is all."

He sends her a half-smirk then, the expression not fully reaching his eyes.

"Do you?" Her voice takes a sweeter tone now as she can't help but let herself get swept away. "Want kids?"

They were both in completely unfamiliar territory now. Only fully realising the conversation they were having, _after_ they had landed themselves in it. They weren't even technically dating anymore, and yet both of them find themselves sitting down together, discussing kids.

"Yeah, of course.." He doesn't miss the opportunity to look into her doe-like eyes as he continues, "With the right person." She hears him finish in that voice designed for her ears only.

Donna lets his stare linger awhile longer before responding. Eager to keep the kid conversation about them as individuals. Afraid of what might become of them if they didn't.

"I guess I never really thought about it much.." she begins, speaking more softly now as she muses, "I've never been with anybody that I wanted kids with, and work has always been so demanding. Now more so than ever.." she shrugs before trailing off in quiet reflection.

"I understand." Harvey sighs before taking another drink, then setting his cup down on the coffee table and relaxing into the light grey cushions behind him. Only a foot left between them even though they had the entire length of the couch to occupy with their bodies. "A bit too well."

She sits up next, her frame facing his, softening into the side of the couch as she mirrors him. She wears a concentrated look on her face, watching him attentively, readying herself for a discussion that was more than likely going to be about them. Running away from it any longer felt like fighting a losing battle.

"Donna, what are we doing?" he blurts out after another moment of contemplation, brows furrowed, turning his head towards her afterwards.

"What?" Her awkwardly timid smile isn't enough to convince him that she doesn't know exactly what he means.

"Us. Here. Talking about kids." he explains anyway.

"I thought we were just having a conversation?"

"Are we _ever_ just having a conversation?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" she frowns defensively.

"It _means.._ We both know there's something going on here, but I don't know what the hell to call it because we don't discuss it enough." he breathes out rather frantically, knowing it was slightly out of the blue. But only somewhat, because the 'relationship status' conversation has been silently bubbling for awhile now. Especially since they had moved past ex-therapists and post-kiss brawls.

"Harvey, what's brought all of this on?"

"We shared a bed last night, Donna. And today, we've hardly even touched." Harvey sits up, adamant on coming across as serious as he feels about her. "I don't want this to keep slipping away from us…going back to the way it always does."

"Harvey," she shuts her eyes briefly before he interrupts her attempt to reassure him otherwise.

"Life is short, Donna!" His hands raise mid-air before smacking back against his thighs, voice raising a few notes higher. "Look at Rachel's aunt.."

"She was ninety-three..Harvey." Donna bites her lip, her nerves finding comfort in making light of things.

Her facetiously teasing brow and smirking eyes only ravel him up further. "That's not the point!"

"Well what is the point then?" she laughs mirthlessly, heart pounding out of her chest.

"A hundred years isn't long enough when you've found the person you wanna spend the rest of your life with!"

She lets the silence engulf them, pretty certain he would be able to hear her worrying pulse rate at this stage. She generously fills her lungs. "What are you saying?" she exhales. Again, she knows, deep down anyway. But her almost invisible insecurities won't allow her to be certain without asking.

 _Because Donna Paulsen knows everything. Except how much Harvey Specter truly loves her._

"That I've found _her_. And I'm looking right at her, and somehow she _still_ doesn't quite know it!" Harvey exclaims, overwrought with emotion, more than she's seen from him in awhile. Maybe ever.

"Just.. tell me what you want, Harvey?" she whispers hoarsely, desperate to hear it once and for all. So she could finally experience her own reaction to him telling her he wanted to be with her. And what it would make her feel after everything they've been through together. And for once in her life, she has no doubt that he's going to answer a question like that truthfully. She won't be able to be mad at him for not responding - or responding vaguely - anymore. Nor will she have an excuse not to tap into her own wants, her own feelings, when it comes to them. And it petrifies her.

"I want _you,_ Donna! I want _this,_ with you!" he cries out, waving his hand towards the baby as he sits closer to the edge of the couch, still facing her. "A future, _together._ "

And just like that it was out there. No take backs. _She was the one for him._ The only one. And although his actions of late may have been showing just that, his words now proved it. She had no way of escape. No telling herself that this might not be what she has imagined in her head over the last couple of months. Or what he has imagined in his. He wanted her. Just her. _For the rest of his life,_ apparently.

But his honesty has her mind going blank. Mouth agape and dilated eyes shaking at him. Her chest rising heavily, in sync with her breathing, now more rapid, with her pulse beating out of her skin and ringing in her ear drum. Their entire conversation was catching up with her now, leaving her frozen. Taking her out of the present and placing her in limbo between both their formidable past, and potential future.

Suddenly Edith lets out a small cry, having been woken from the emotional outburst, pulling the redhead back to reality somewhat.

" _Are you still in love with me, Donna?"_ Harvey croaks out, flooring her once more, the tension in the room rising with each cry the infant expels. He was desperate for her to answer him before she could use the baby as an escape exit. He moves closer, his knee hitting hers. "Because you were right about what you said about me up on that rooftop.. I love you as way more than just a best friend. Because I'm _in love_ with you. And the more I think about it, the more I realise that I have never _not_ been in love with you."

Edie starts crying again, louder this time, completely awake and not about to be silenced until someone picks her up.

Donna shakes herself from her state of shock. Moving towards the bassinet with autopilot mode switched on, she takes the baby in her arms, gently shushing and cradling her.

"Donna-" Harvey pleads as he stands, his heart aching when she doesn't even look at him.

"I need to put her down to bed."

"Can you at least ans-"

"Harvey. I just need a minute." she exhales, finally glancing at him, hoping her eyes weren't as fearful as she felt but she wasn't optimistic about her chances. "Let me put her down. Please."

She hates herself for how distant she sounds despite her efforts. Shutting him down now that he was finally refusing to shut up. But it's the abruptness of it all that has sent her into a state of panic. _Fight or flight._ They were just discussing kids, and now all of a sudden _their kids? Their future?_

Harvey shakes his head before giving in and moving out of the way, hopelessly watching as she catches the handles of woven bassinet and strolls towards her bedroom.

She only lets the tears fall when she's out of sight. Tears of frustration more than anything. Becoming increasingly mad at herself for the way she dealt with his declaration.

Her minute turns to almost an hour. The first fifteen spent getting Edith back to sleep. And the rest spent sat on her bed, going over what she should say to him, how she should approach him, and whether or not she should just respond by kissing him. Her heart was more than its fair share of heavy now, weighed down with over twelve years of suppressed and denied feelings. The bottom line was, she found that way of dealing with their precarious relationship easier than talking about it, easier than telling him that she too wanted a life with him.

But she was determined to change. Tonight. If he could do it, then she was more than capable of doing so too. They couldn't run from each other anymore now, it was just them. Literally and figuratively. No firm drama to conveniently insert its way in between them this time.

With a courageous breath, she takes herself back out through the hallway and into the living room, her arms neatly wrapped around her waist for security. She stops in her tracks when she lays eyes on him, horizontal across her couch. Eyes closed and face completely peaceful. The exhaustion after getting the better of him during his wait. She decides that neither of the options she relayed in her head would be of use to her in his slumberous state.

Instead of thinking anymore, she simply carries on towards him. Taking a moment to smile over his sleeping form before she's joining him. Nestling into the crook of his neck and pulling her body into his, her right leg poking in between his as her arm wraps around his ribs. She lets out the breath she was holding when she feels his arms tighten around her. Planting a kiss to her forehead once he's fully awake.

"I'm sorry." he whispers against her.

"I am." she exhales in response to his earlier question.

"You've nothing to be-"

" _Still in love with you."_

She darts her gaze up at him, watching his face contort into the happiest she's ever seen in their thirteen years together. His hardened frown relaxing, eyes opening up to her as a smile teases the edges of his lips.

"I've only ever been in love with you, Harvey. I don't want you to doubt that anymore." She runs her hand up his neck, caressing his jawline with her thumb. "So.. _just know that I am,_ okay?" she whispers, eyes brewing with fresh tears when she blinks at him, pearly whites poking out as she sends him a wide, watery grin.

"Okay." he whispers, his face bursting with joy while his hand finds her ribcage.

He pulls her in for a bruising kiss with his next breath. Both chuckling with teary eyes and elated sighs when their lips meet for the third time in six months. As the embrace heats up, his hand lingers down her spine, pulling her body flush to his before he raises himself off the couch to hover over her. His kisses soon end up trailing down her neck, nipping and soothing the freckled flesh along the way.

"Harveyy-" she moans.

"What.." he breathes, his voice hot against her exposed cleavage.

"We can't.."

Harvey looks back up at her then, pulling himself upwards so he's face to face with her again.

"Why not?" he quizzes, his voice raspy with a hint of fear, even though he knows he shouldn't hold onto it anymore -but one's oldest habits really are hardest to kill.

"Edie?" she chuckles, hands running up his chest and over his shoulders.

"She's too young to know." He presses his lips to hers once he feels secure enough to do so again, the sight of the red-raw and deliciously plumped pair, along with her hazel-green eyes - almost morphing completely black now - proving too irresistible. "Or to catch us."

"Harv-ey.." Her half-hearted scolding goes unfinished when he sucks on her pulse point and his fingers press into her waist with a firm grip, his thumb running smooth circles on her lower abdomen, disrupting the muscles beneath as she feels them jolting under his sensual movements.

"You were saying?" he teases, his blackened eyes staring into half-hooded ones.

He watches her measure up their options. Staring back at him when she's made up her mind. Choosing to give in to lust. _Because, how could she not?_

"Screw it." Her sigh meets his lips, pulling him down for another passionate embrace. Her bottom lip numbs as his teeth tug at the flesh, his tongue soon sweeping out in soothing strokes to accompany his kisses, angling his head to the left as he parts her lips further, encouraging her own tongue to meet his.

Her fingers rake down his sides next, helping remove his navy sweater before pulling his shirt from his pants, quickly starting on his buttons from the bottom up. He lets out a deep groan when her hands touch his flesh, the mere feeling alone lighting his groin on fire as a thick tension builds in his crotch. A tension made abundantly clear as he grinds against her. Purposely.

Their lips pull apart then. Both frowning at each other over the sudden set of knocks against the front door.

"Just ignore it," he pants, "whoever it is will leave." He buries his face against her neck again, feeling her throaty chuckle under his mouth and tongue.

"Harvey," she demands his attention back up to her eyes, "Mike and Rachel?"

"Shit.." he whispers once she jogs his memory, bowing his head in defeat before looking at her again. "Is that the time already?"

"Must be.." Donna groans, patting his shoulder to encourage him to sit up, pulling her to a stand with him next.

He leans in to kiss her again, his left hand smoothing through her copper waves. Both sharing giggles, knowing they should be in more of a rush than they were.

"Wow," Mike nods in thought as the pair wait outside, "I guess they're really going at it in there."

Rachel lightly whacks his chest with the back of her palm, but can't tamper down her amusement - or excitement - at the thought. "You think?"

"I know." he smirks confidently, wrapping on the door again to panic them further.

The pair pull apart - or try to - their lips still teasing one another as she buttons up his shirt and he stuffs it back into his pants.

"Where's my sweater?" he asks quietly.

"There." She points behind the couch, hurrying him to the door with her as he redresses himself.

"Wait," Harvey whispers just as she's about to put her palm on the handle. His serious tone making her turn back before he presses her against the wall, consuming her once more as he cups her face in his hands. She hears their lips part before her lashes flutter open and he breathes against her. "Just in case they don't leave for another while."

Both of them were bubbling over with arousal and giddiness at this stage. The reality of them kissing with their friends on the other side of the door, completely oblivious, - or so they thought - only adding to their shared adrenaline rush.

Donna bites her lip before they release themselves from one other. Physically, at least.

"Hi!" she greets as she pulls the door wide open, subconsciously smoothing down her hair.

She meets Rachel for a hug of condolences after saying hellos. Her eyes doing all the talking as she smiles at her with her signature empathetic stare. Rachel smiling back to let her know she was okay.

"Took you long enough to answer." Mike states in a pondering tone as he kisses Donna on the cheek.

She freezes for a second before Harvey answers from behind. "We were checking on Edie."

"Both of you?" he challenges, feigning confusion.

Donna winces at her acting partner's lame attempt at a cover up. He should have left her in the spotlight. But to be fair, she was off her game too. Still feeling his hands, his lips, his budding erection, all over her body. As if each and every cell and crevice were consumed by Harvey Specter. Just the way she craved most.

"Hmm." Mike hums, side-eyeing Rachel when he doesn't get an answer. Neither of them missing her red-raw lips or the rosy marks on her neck. Or his uncharacteristically disheveled strands and messy collar.

"You guys want tea? Coffee?" Donna calls out as they seat themselves onto her couch. "She's not due to wake for another half hour at least."

They both answer with coffee, in desperate need of a caffeine boost after their travels no doubt.

"I'll give you a hand." Harvey mutters, earning a questionable glance from all three as he follows her past the couch and into the kitchen.

"Could they be anymore obvious?" Rachel whispers in amusement, lips pressing together with glee.

"They may as well be holding up a sign." Mike adds, glancing in the direction of the kitchen where he no longer had eyes on the conspicuous pair.

Harvey stops behind her, hands around her waist while he plants his lips up and down the crook of her neck, feeling her head bow back in response to his teasing ministrations.

"Harvey-" He twists her around before pressing her into the counter, and himself into her. "I hope you didn't come in here with wicked intentions. Because we both know I don't need a hand with two coff-" Her low whisper trails off as he sucks on her pulse point, her eyes hooded once more.

"I can make our coffees." he mutters his excuse to be there, kissing his way up her long neck until he was tugging at her bottom lip, giving him good reason to use tongue so quickly as he soothes it over with a wet kiss. "Still like yours whipped?"

"Always." she purrs, a cat-like excitement in her eye.

"We would have been to Starbucks and back by now.." Mike projects from inside the living room. For someone who was so eager to play St. Valentine all these years, he was definitely taking enjoyment in toying with them.

The pair return a few minutes later, visibly oozing with an amorous emanation for one another.

"Here you go..milk no sugar." Donna hands Mike his coffee.

"And black, one sugar." Harvey hands Rachel hers.

"I'm sure Donna would have failed miserably at remembering our orders without you, Harvey, thank you." Mike teases sarcastically.

Donna chuckles, sitting on the smaller, adjacent couch. "What can I say, he's whipped." The sneakiness of the entire situation was enticing her inner performer out to play as she mocks him no more than she normally would, as if they were just friends. Not that they were ever just friends.

"What was that?" Harvey asks, pretending as if he didn't hear them right, nostrils flared and lips smirking. "You want more whipped cream with that?"

Donna coughs while she takes a sip. "I'm good. For now."

Both of them shamelessly ogle the other as Mike and Rachel sit in the middle trying to hold back their laughter.

"So, how was everything with Edith?" Rachel asks.

"Perfect," Donna smiles.

"She didn't even know her parents had been replaced." Harvey interrupts jokingly, once again eyeing Donna as they both smirk into their cups.

"Okay," Mike finally caves after hearing Harvey refer to him and the redhead as parents in a roundabout way, "so are you two a _thing_ now? Or is it normal to have eye sex with friends over coffee nowadays?"

"Mike!" Rachel scolds, sending Donna an apologetic, yet curious glance. The redhead's eyes widen in sync with her smirk, telling her she would fill her in on the ' _most important emotional question'_ later.

"Actually," Harvey butts in unexpectedly, gaze on Donna as he stands on the other side of Mike and Rachel, "it would have been more than just our eyes had you not knocked."

"Harvey!" Donna's mouth drops as she glares over at him, never thinking he would come out and say it like that.

"What?" he shrugs. "This is practically their early Christmas present."

"That's true. I really wanted a new bike, but I took one for the team and put you two finally getting together at the top of my list instead." Mike nods mockingly while Harvey shakes his head at the younger man's antics. "Come on you guys," He looks back and forth between the smitten pair, "it was pretty obvious."

"What Mike means.." Rachel adds, her palm on her fiance's thigh as she looks at Harvey and then Donna, "is that we are incredibly happy for you both."

"That too." Mike nods, beaming at his friends.

Donna isn't entirely sure how to respond. Especially seeing as her and Harvey had only got around to kissing - and some stripping - before they arrived. So the congratulations felt somewhat premature. But at the same time, they were finally together now, that much was obvious without needing to be said, so maybe they weren't so premature.

"Why don't we check on Edie?" she suggests, aware Rachel would be itching to see her daughter, but also wanting time away from the men - _to be women._

"Excellent idea." Rachel smirks, knowing she's about to get all the information she's craving. "Be right back, you two."

"Hmm, I wonder what they could be discussing.." Mike bemuses with exaggeration, back hitting the couch as he watches them disappear before glancing to Harvey. "I hope you measured up well."

Harvey tuts at his proteges distasteful humour, - even though it was a mirror of his own - sitting himself down in Donna's seat. "We haven't even gotten there yet."

"But you have before?" he quizzes, even though he knows, thanks to Rachel.

"What?"

"Years ago?"

"How do you know that?" Harvey frowns.

"Women talk, Harvey. Just like they're doing in there right now." He points over the older man's shoulder in the direction of Donna's bedroom.

Harvey rolls his eyes, sinking back into the couch. "Well I'm not worried."

"Cocky."

Mike's deliberate use of the word doesn't go unnoticed by his friend. "With good reason." Harvey responds with a confident smirk.

 **.**

Donna and Rachel peer over the sleeping baby, her mother's fingers caressing her cheek, feeling as though she hadn't seen her all week.

"I won't judge if you wanna poke her." Donna jokes, her left brow raised as she nudges Rachel's arm.

"No, I'll let her sleep through," she smiles, "she'll be awake soon enough."

"She seems to only wake up at the most inconvenient of times." Donna muses.

"Meaning?" Rachel's voice is full of intrigue now.

"Exactly what you think it means." Donna confirms.

The younger woman squeals in delight, a wave of relief hitting her. "I'm so happy for you, Donna."

"Thanks, Rach."

"So…" Her eyes bore through the redhead's, shamelessly asking 'how big?' Donna chuckles as Rachel separates her index fingers slowly but steadily. "Okay, you're gonna have to stop me at some stage. Now I'm getting worried for you."

Donna shows off the whites of her eyes as she gives the confirming nod, laughing at Rachel's wide-eyed expression.

"Impressive."

"And that's just going off memory."

"Wait, so you two actually haven't..?" Rachel frowns, thinking they had surely found some time all weekend.

"Not in twelve years, no." Donna remarks, pressing her lips into a crooked smile, the fact annoying her somewhat.

"Well," the brunette exhales with a grin, "we'd better get out of your hair then."

"Don't be silly."

"No," Rachel insists, "I don't wanna get in the way of my best friend getting..well, _you know._ " She adorably wiggles her brows.

Donna sighs, face contorting into dramatised appreciation as she chuckles. "You really are a true friend, Rachel."

"I learn from the best."

 **.**

Harvey and Donna stand at the front door again as they see the three of them off. Butterflies burgeoning at the mere thought of what's to come once the door closes again.

"Thanks again, you guys. I don't know how we would have gotten through this weekend without your help." Rachel smiles appreciatively, as Mike nods to her side with Edith in her kangaroo pouch.

"Don't mention it, Rach." Donna grins.

"I guess we should be thanking you two, and your parent trapping asses." Harvey jokes, right hand on her lower back.

" _Godparent_ trapping." Mike corrects.

"Punny." Harvey rolls his eyes, pretending to be unamused as he scoffs.

"Okay you two, try not to have too much fun without us." Rachel grins, eyeing them one last time before she turns to leave.

"Oh trust me, we're gonna have _all_ the fun without you guys." Harvey responds, his hand pressing into her waist after he speaks, earning an elbow jab from his partner.

They share final glances and goodbyes then before Donna's closing the door and Harvey's pinning her up against it without any tentativeness or hesitation whatsoever.

"Finally." he grumbles hoarsely against her flushed skin.

She wraps her limbs around his neck and waist as his fingers press into her upper thighs, his hands wandering over her ass and lower back as her legs tighten around him, calves pulling him into her with a fervid force. The door behind her providing perfect support.

As his bulge digs into her clothed centre she releases a low whine, nails scraping his scalp as lips part.

"Harvey." she pants. "Unless you wanna do it here, I suggest you walk us in there." Her hazy eyes glance over him and towards her bedroom.

"Why.." he jokes, kissing her again. "I think your door would be poetic."

"And how is that?"

"Well, I mean, we've had a lot of _moments_ here."

She knows exactly what he means. The midnight calls. The unexpected - and sometimes unwelcome - visits. _The other time._

"And sex isn't going to be one of them!" she scolds with laughter nonetheless.

"It isn't?" he pouts, purposefully child-like.

"Not tonight, no."

"That sounds promising."

"Harvey, can you stop talking now?"

She feels his Cheshire Cat grin on her lips next, tasting his arousal as her lower half _feels_ it. "Mmph," she mumbles. "Bedroom. Now."

"Still as dominant as ever." he mutters, stepping backwards as he turns them around, his feet finding her bedroom with ease. That direction of her hallway seared in his memory for eternity.

 **...**

Most of their clothes are soon a forgotten feeling on their flesh as he lays on top of her, both sporting only their undergarments now. Her black lace testing how far the circumference of his pupils could stretch. His undeniable desire grinding against her nerves, now more exposed with such thin layers between them. Her neck already feels numb from his kisses, lips plump from his tugs, her nipples erect as he rids her of her bra. He takes in the new view for a second before lowering himself back down. Lips meeting collarbone, then chest, then nipple. Tongue teasing its way out as his left hand lingers down her side, his right linked with hers, pressing into the pillow as their intertwined fingers begin to sweat. While his other fingers get to work where she needs them most, sliding under the wet lace.

"Harv-" she whines, wriggling under him and his thumb with an unruly yearning born out of twelve years of repression.

His digits meet warm, swollen lips, nerves already throbbing under his touch. He rests his forehead in the crook of her neck, needing to steady himself lest the sensual contact leave him prematurely peaking. He kisses her skin before he's up again, eyes meeting her cloudy pair. Her thumb caresses his jawline as his own grazes her clit. His two fingers eventually sliding inside. He watches her mouth fall agape as she adjusts, her lower half arching towards him. Once her lids flutter open, he curves his fingers inside, teasing her walls as her heat intensifies. Flicking his fingerprint over her centre, they share another open-mouthed kiss, both panting with lust. Her crimson nails digging into his back and shoulders, making salmon-pink trails over his sallow skin.

"I'm gonna need the real deal soon, Harvey." she demands breathlessly.

"Be patient." he smirks hot against her ear, nipping her lobe before kissing her jawline as his fingers rock into her with even more fervour than his younger self had possessed.

"We have the rest of our lives to be patient," she moans, "now stop making me wait."

"But it will be worth the wait."

"Harvey."

He tilts his head, smirking as he waits a second before caving. If only to save some dignity. He releases his fingers from her warm hold. Placing them both in his mouth without breaking eye contact once. Looking like the cat - more like lion - who got the cream - of the whipped kind - as his pupils prey upon her. He tastes his thumb then, carefully observing her roused expression as a peachy blush rises under her cheeks. Mostly out of sexual stimulation, with just a hint of demure.

"Forgot how good you taste."

"No you didn't."

"No," he grins, licking his lips, "I didn't." he finishes, kissing hers so she can taste.

She glides her hands down his shoulder and onto his chest, pushing him downwards with a devilish flame flickering in her eye.

He does as he's wordlessly told next, scooting down, his fingers delicately ripping the lace from her hips, tossing it behind him as he absorbs the sublime sight that raises his erection an inch or two, before he rids himself of his own briefs.

He kisses his way up her long, silky legs as he crawls, mouth lingering over her the apex of her thigh before lightly sucking her clit, just enough to leave her wanting more.

She finally feels all of him as he settles above her once again. His stiff shaft teasing her tender nerves. Gazing at each other one last time before their next time.

"I love you, Donna." He delicately brushes some stray auburn strands behind her ear.

"I love you too, Harvey." she whispers, her eyes more somber now as she takes him in, thumb affectionately smoothing his temple, down to his jawline and over his lower lip until her hand falls to the crook of his neck.

"I know." he teases, all too satisfied with being able to say that with confidence now.

He leaves an emotive kiss on her lips as he shifts above her. Her legs spreading and gripping around him as she leads him in. Breathing together as she accommodates him. Giving her time to adjust, he locks eyes on her lips, distilling a breath, his eyes floating back up to hers.

Donna sighs as she slowly moves beneath him, her arms under his, palms pressing into his shoulder blades, urging him on. Her room soon filling with a reverberating array of resonance as he rocks into her. Bed creaking, breaths mingling, breasts ricocheting. Grinding and groaning. Pounding and panting. Relaxing and relenting.

She, was the only one to ever satisfy his insatiable desire for sex. For she was the one to set his standards sky-high in the first place. Unknowingly leaving him in constant search - albeit subconsciously - of another her for over a decade. Being with her, loving her, was organic. Even more of an inclination to him than being a lawyer was. As she surrenders to her climax under him, he fully recognises that he is never going to find another her as long as he lives.

His thumb presses into her core once more, driving out her orgasm. Her legs turning to jello from the inside out as her nerves ignite in some sort of domino-effect, her core being the epicentre of the quake about to erupt.

She pulls him closer as she doubles over, jerking beneath him without any control as he thrusts and teases, still pleasurably taunting her down south as she releases a higher-pitched moan, his name a praise and a curse tumbling from her lips all at once.

He kisses her hot flesh as she descends from her ultimate high, his thumb slowing down its avid actions in favour of more relaxing motions. His lips ascend her neck then, finding her mouth as he kisses her more gently.

She looks at him coyly, almost as if she hadn't just come undone for him. She tightens her grip around his neck, easing him in for a deeper kiss as he picks up drive again. Her fingers denting his back, venturing as far as they could reach, coaxing him on as he approaches his own pinnacle experience. Eyes filling with euphoric endorphins as he engages in one final thrust, ethereally gazing into her own misty pair before the slow whine she elicits has him emptying inside her, inevitably.

He lays against her breasts, spent and sweaty, regaining his energy with her limp fingers soothingly stroking through his short strands.

"Wow," she breathes, his head rising and falling with her chest as he listens to her heartbeat, "that was even quicker than our first time."

He chuckles, the vibrations piercing through her skin. That woman's wicked tongue is undoubtedly one of his favourite things about her.

He props himself up next, mindfully sliding out of her before he nestles in beside her. "We both know my longevity increases with each round."

"We do." she hums fairly, wrapping her leg over his, already feeling the ache settling in between her thighs as the tingling sensation slowly starts to wear off, her right arm lazily swinging over him too.

"Twelve years, Donna." he defends when her eyes still taunt him. "And I didn't seen you lasting very long either."

"I know, I know.." she yields, "Geesh, since when did you get so sensitive?"

He grips her waist, gluing her body to his as he lies back, smiling against their kisses before speaking. "I've been seeing someone for the last few months, actually." he informs her, only slightly more solemn.

She props herself up against his chest, tormenting eyes cast down at him with a faux frown. "You're already two-timing me?"

Harvey responds with an unimpressed glare, brows creased at such a suggestion, albeit humorous.

"Wait.." she ponders before popping her eyes at him, "that would make _me_ the mistress."

"Not funny…"

"Harvey," she lowers her tone, her left brow quirked, "you really think I didn't already know?"

"How-" His face relaxes once her stare cuts him off and answers for her.

 _She's Donna._

"I'm proud of you." she whispers sweetly, pulling herself in for a chaste kiss, sighing when she can still taste herself off the tip of his tongue.

"Good, because I don't think I'll be seeing her anymore."

"Oh yeah?" She fails to hide her exuberant expression, watching his own grin widen with nothing short of irrepressible jubilation. She's inwardly stunned that the happiest she's ever seen him, is when he is _with her._

"You're the only healer I need." he jokes, laughing along with her when her chuckles course through his chest. He takes in her fiery flames, her ivory flesh and her golden freckles. Each feature fairing flawlessly in the soft, orange light emitted by both bedside lamps.

"That sucks for you cause the only _healing_ I know is of the sexual kind." Donna pouts, right hand tracing his ribs, fingers tip-toeing their way down his waist and beyond. "And let me tell you..I didn't have to go to Harvard for my degree." She grips his length with a torturous thumb, teasing his head on various upward strokes.

He chooses not to get into her sexual qualifications. "That's too bad," he grunts under her contact, "but if it's all you're offering, then I suppose I won't say no."

"One session.. _coming right up."_ Her voice becomes dangerously low as she straddles him, onyx eyes fixated upon him.

He feels her hand accompany her lascivious language, sliding up and down his shaft once more, almost effortlessly having him standing to full attention in no time at all. When he's ready, she sits herself up and slowly sinks on top of him. Feeling his firm fingers press into her rocking hips as her walls surround him.

"Do I have to pay?" he chances.

"Only with more sex." she pants, eyes half-hooded with a sensual smirk. "A lot _more."_

"Well, you did say you _wanted something more_ once." His heated palms run over her ass and waist, eyeing her intensely, smugly too.

Donna lowers herself down as she grinds above him, hands smoothing up his chest until they rest on either side of his neck while she kisses him. She opens her eyes and smiles as their lips part.

"And now I have it."

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 **If you made it to the end, congratulations, that was a long-ass chapter, I'm sorry (to those of you with lesser attention spans/time/interest) :P It was originally much shorter, but I had Machel hang around for longer near the end because well, we'll never get them finding out about Darvey in the show anymore.. (still bitter)**

 **Anyway, would especially love to hear your feedback on this one, it has drained my writer's soul.  
This will probably be the last chapter before the epilogue, but if anyone has things they would like to see written, let me know in the comments and I'll see what I can do (if only Korsh listened to us like this).**

 **Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed here and on twitter over the last couple of months. It means the world. I love you all. X**


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